How do you make rice?

I make mine in a pot and add some rice vinegar, soy sauce (sometimes a little Ponzu), ginger, garlic, and a fried (very runny) egg.

I love plain white rice the most. Especially Cuban rice (other Latin American countries make similar rice) which I have not been able to perfect. I usually use quite a bit of a salt, little bit of garlic and some olive oil.

I make saffron rice when I do a paella. I start with homemade chicken broth with the perfect saltiness for my taste, saffron, and then add the rice. My Paella has chicken, shrimp, and sausage, plus roasted red peppers and peas. Kind of a special jleslie Paella, I don’t eat a lot of shellfish, which is typically found in most paella.

My husband loves rice made with lentils, and then very browned onions on top.

I make a stir fry rice which is bok choy, zuchini, mushrooms and onion, soy sauce, and then add cooked white rice.

I love the pine nuts and tomatoes idea, I am definitely going to try that. I use those in cous cous typically.

Normally I go with rice just steamed normally with some oil. I even have an unglazed ceramic steamer I use just for that. I keep it plain mostly because I almost only serve rice alongside/below something with delicious sauce, which ends up soaking into the rice.

My partner and I recently got into preparing it with spices once in a while, particularly cloves. Just a bit, not much, like they do at some Indian restaurants. Yum.

Fry a few sage leaves, but only for a minute then remove them and add the rice to the olive oil. Healthy and yummy, too.

@seazen – When you say you fry the rice, do you mean you start it in oil in the frying pan, then add liquid? Your rice sounds wonderful, but please be a bit more specific as to how it all comes together.

We have your tomatoes with eggs once a week or so. We love it and this sounds so good too.

Always fry the rice for about two minutes before adding the boiling water. I fry a cup of rice (or two) in olive oil for as long as it takes the kettle to boil the water. Then add the water and spices, plus a few slices of tomato and mushrooms, peppers or whatever I have/feel like. Usually 15–17 minutes, but I follow the instructions on the rice as it varies.

I always end by placing a clean dry towel under the cover for 5 minutes – it absorbs excess moisture and makes the rice nice – so you get individual grains. The tomatoes simply mush into the rice and give it that unmistakeable taste.

I use a Japanese rice cooker, so it simply gets steamed. I like plain white rice, and yes, my kids love it.

I dump water and rice and butter/oil and salt into a saucepan, and then heat it all up. Once the contents reach a boil, I turn the flame almost all the way down and let the stuff sit for 20 minutes. It’s pretty good, in a plain-ol-rice sort of way.

@Nullo I’ve never done it that way – I always add boiled water. I also fry the rice a bit first. I wonder if it will taste very different.

My favorite rice recipe is a dish I requested of my mom a lot growing up, it’s really good. It needs a good name, though, because we always called it ‘chicken and rice’ and that sounds way more boring than it actually is.

Brown rice, sauteed, then onions, chicken broth, peeled stewed tomatoes and juice, black olives, chicken, bay leaves, curry powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and then add corn at the end. Really easy and tasty.

I usually prefer the white rices, but the brown rice does add a certain heartiness and good texture to the dish and I couldn’t imagine making it any other way.

@seazen Lemme know how it goes. Be careful not to burn it; getting all of the ricey crap out isn’t fun – or is that endemic to all rice-making?

@seazen – thank you, I will try it that way, sounds good.

I also love Malaysian Chicken Rice.

And of course Coconut Rice.

@Nullo It all depends on the pot – there is the non-stick kind. Plus cooking time – once you get it right, just stick to that time. I set my watch timer.

I make steamed rice and chop up some bacon add some all seasoning and fry the bacon then add to the rice alond with some sugar. Very yummy.

@rooeytoo : My son (then 3 years old) lived on Malaysian chicken rice when we lived in Singapore. I enjoyed it, too.

@hawaii_jake – I love it, there was a great Malaysian place in Darwin, I always had it when I went there. Where I am now, I have not found good Asian food of any kind. Very disappointing.

What does frying the rice do for it? Is it a flavor thing, or something else? I must be the most boring rice maker on the planet… I add cold water and rice to a pot, and cook it til it’s done. We generally eat it with some kind of saucy dish. Last night it was stir-fried stew beef and Italian vegetables with soy sauce.

This probably only appeals to Americans. If I have left over white rice drying out in the fridge, almost ready to be tossed, I get a can of cream of mushroom soup and mix it in with the rice on top of the stove and throw in some French’s onions, like the green bean casserole idea for thanksgiving. You can add extra sauteed mushrooms if you are so inclined. I sometimes add canned french cut beans right into the concoction, but my husband thinks that is disgusting.

@JLeslie This American hates mushrooms, cream-of or otherwise. :D

@Nullo Haha. I actually know a few people who hate muschrooms. I meant more the cream of part. Most countries, especially the middle east and other parts of Asia, use olive oil more than creaming things up. I think of America as eating creamed Spinach, creamed corn, etc. Blech. Other parts of the world the veggies are more fresh, or marinated, etc. Not sure if the rest of the world eats things like Mashed potatoes with tons of cream and butter, except maybe France? In Memphis they boil green beans until they are falling apart and add pork, another blech.

I have tried your method and we love it, now it is in our menu rotation along with your tomato and eggs, I can’t remember the name. I have adapted it slightly to our taste, saute in olive oil tomato, chili, fresh green beans chopped small, little garlic salt and pepper. When mushy, add the rice and let it brown, finally add chicken broth instead of water and continue until rice is soft. I have tried also adding chicken breast or chopped up scrambled eggs to make it a more complete meal. Sprinkle some chopped spring onions on top and it is fit for a king! I bet it would be good with sauteed cabbage or any veg thrown in as well. Very versatile.
Cheers!

The other day I cooked rice in coconut milk. Best idea ever.

@incendiary_dan – I love that for breakfast with fruit. I think the first time I had it was in Singapore and I loved it then and still do.

@rooeytoo It’s great as a desert, too. I cook a lot of Filipino food (being part Filipino) and I’ve got a bunch of recipes I’ve been wanting to try that involve coconut rice. Mmmmm.

“How do you make rice?”

I cannot make rice, but, I could cook rice.

One part WHITE rice to two parts water. Bring water to a boil. Add rice, salt to taste, a smidgen olive oil or butter. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to very low. Don’t open pot for the next fifteen minutes, allowing rice to simmer. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Rice is ready!

@Nagme Welcome to fluther: your chosen nickname says it all. Now go make rice.

I love basic steamed jasmine rice over diced fresh tomatoes and basil. That’s it.

@seazen Okay, so can I have your recipe?

seazen’s rice is wonderful, the idea of frying it first really seems to make it so much more exciting. I have been doing it his way since this question was asked, I add my own spices and veg or egg and it is always excellent!