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No rice cooker? No drawback! Learn to make a pot of Japanese white rice on the range. My easy ideas and tips will be certain that your steamed rice comes out completely each time.
Rising up in Japan, the place rice is a staple meals and the first supply of protein, cooking rice isn’t solely a fundamental kitchen activity but additionally an especially vital one. Whereas an electrical rice cooker with all of the bells and whistles appears to be a necessary kitchen gadget in most Asian kitchens, I perceive that not everybody eats rice day by day and will not personal a rice cooker. It’s additionally helpful to know make rice on the range in case your rice cooker breaks unexpectedly otherwise you’re craving rice whereas tenting.
On this publish, let’s get again to fundamentals, and I’ll present you measure rice precisely, wash it correctly, and at last cook dinner Japanese rice in a pot on the range.
What’s Japanese Brief-Grain Rice?
Japanese rice is a kind of Japonica short-grain rice that’s brief, plump, and rounded oval. It’s value noting that outdoors of Japan, Japanese rice is usually labeled as ‘sushi rice’ for advertising and marketing functions. Nonetheless, rice is used not only for making sushi, but additionally for on a regular basis Japanese dishes.
What units Japanese rice other than long-grain rice varieties comparable to basmati or jasmine rice is its excessive water content material, which implies the feel is extra tender and moist. The grains comprise much less amylose—a kind of starch that separates rice grains— than the lengthy grains, giving them a extra sticky, chewy texture.
When cooked correctly, the rice grains cling to one another with out turning into mushy, permitting you to simply choose up the rice with chopsticks. You’ll additionally discover a lovely shiny sheen on the floor of the rice. These distinctive traits of Japanese short-grain rice are important as a result of they permit us to make dishes like rice balls (onigiri) and sushi that want to remain in a single piece.
Generally I hear individuals calling Japanese rice “sticky rice” attributable to its sticky texture, however please know that ‘sticky rice’ is technically a distinct kind of rice referred to as candy rice or glutinous rice, which we use for making mochi (rice truffles).
👉🏼 To brush up your information, I extremely advocate studying Every little thing You Must Find out about Japanese Rice and Varieties of Japanese Rice.
Greatest Japanese Rice Manufacturers
In relation to high-quality Japanese rice, I like to recommend the Koshihikari selection, which is out there in numerous manufacturers at Japanese grocery shops. Identified for its candy style and perfume, Koshihikari is the most well-liked selection in Japan. I personally choose the Toyama-grown Koshihikari imported from Japan, which is out there at Japanese grocery shops (I buy mine at Nijiya Market in San Mateo).
For US-grown koshihikari rice, search for Shirakiku Rice, Tamaki Gold, and Tamanishiki Tremendous Premium Brief Grain Rice. For brown rice, we get pleasure from Genmai Sukoyaka Brown Rice and Koshihikari Premium Sprouted Brown Gaba Rice.
There are additionally different new cultivars comparable to Hitomebore, Akitakomachi, Tamanishiki, Tsuyahime, and so forth. Every of them has distinctive traits which might be totally different from Koshihikari.
What Form of Pot to Use
Use a heavy-bottomed pot when cooking rice. The even warmth distribution prevents the underside of your rice from simply getting burnt. Personally, I really like utilizing Staub, particularly for cooking rice. In comparison with different common Dutch oven manufacturers, Staub options a greater, tight-fitting lid that traps all of the steam inside.
Another possibility I like to recommend is a donabe—a Japanese earthenware clay pot. If you happen to plan to make use of a donabe, I’ve a separate publish on How you can Cook dinner Japanese Rice in a Donabe.
How you can Measure Rice and Water
In Japan, rice is at all times measured with a rice cooker cup, which is 180 ml or American ¾ cup. To measure appropriately, overfill a rice cooker cup (or a ¾-cup measure works properly for this) with rice and degree it off. Failing to degree it off might end in your rice not having sufficient water to cook dinner correctly.
Rice-to-Water Ratio
One of many causes individuals usually wrestle to make Japanese rice is because of utilizing the improper quantity of water. There may be a whole lot of misinformation on-line. To cook dinner Japanese short-grain white rice, the proper rice-to-water ratio is as follows:
The golden rule for the rice-to-water ratio [volume] is 1:1.1 (or 1.2).
This implies:
- This implies you will want 10–20% extra water than rice.
- 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) of rice – 200 ml of water
- 1 US cup (240 ml) of rice – 1⅛ cups of water (or 264 ml for the reason that rounded-up cup measurement isn’t correct)
I like to recommend getting a rice cooker cup (you will get it on Amazon) and utilizing metrics to measure your water.
How you can Wash the Rice
The strategy of washing rice is usually mentioned, and every tradition doubtless follows a distinct strategy.
Listed below are the fast key factors:
- Wash rice in chilly working faucet water; by no means use heat/sizzling water.
- Don’t use a strainer to clean rice as a result of it will possibly break the rice.
- Discard the primary rinsing water instantly earlier than the rice begins absorbing impurities.
- Use your fingers to gently agitate the moist rice grains in a round movement for 10–15 seconds. The bowl ought to have little or no water, which permits the grains to rub in opposition to one another. Rinse and wash one to 2 extra occasions till the water is nearly clear.
Why Do We Soak the Rice?
Except for utilizing the wrong quantity of water for rice, one more reason individuals wrestle to make good Japanese rice isn’t soaking the rice.
Since soaking isn’t needed for different forms of rice, you may assume it’s a waste of time or pointless. Nonetheless, this leads to rice that isn’t cooked by way of as a result of the core stays onerous.
Contemplate the Japanese short-grain rice kernel: it has a plump physique and requires an extended time to soak up moisture to the core. That’s why we give it a headstart by soaking the rice for at the very least 20-Half-hour.
How you can Cook dinner the Japanese Rice on the Range
After 20-Half-hour of soaking, we’re now able to cook dinner the rice!
- Cowl the pot with the lid, leaving a small hole, and produce it to a boil over medium warmth. Take a fast peek to see if the water is boiling.
- As soon as the water is boiling, flip the warmth to low and cook dinner, lined, for 12–13 minutes.
- When it’s performed cooking, open the lid and take a fast peek to test if the water is totally absorbed. If there‘s water left, shut the lid and cook dinner for just a little longer.
- Take away from the range and let it steam with the lid on for one more 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a rice paddle. It‘s now able to serve.
Cooking Ideas
Listed below are 5 major tricks to cook dinner an ideal pot of shiny and tender Japanese rice:
- Wash and rinse the rice. All the time begin by rapidly rinsing and washing the rice just a few occasions to assist take away the pure incidence of arsenic and impurities.
- Use a heavy-bottom pot with a tight-fitting lid. In case your lid suits loosely, put a clear kitchen fabric between the lid and the pot to maintain the steam in.
- All the time soak the rice in water for Half-hour. Rice has been sitting within the bag dried after milling, so it wants moisture to revive the feel. It’s essential to give it sufficient time for the rice to soak up water in order that it has an ideal texture after cooking.
- DO NOT open the lid whereas cooking! It is a massive no-no in the case of cooking Japanese rice. I realized from my expertise to catch the indication of “boiling” by sound. Nonetheless, till you do, it’s okay to “rapidly peek” inside to see if it’s boiling.
- Relaxation and fluff. As soon as the rice is cooked, let it relaxation for 10 minutes to steam totally, after which fluff to assist evaporate the surplus moisture.
Greatest Approach to Retailer Cooked Rice
What’s the easiest way to retailer the leftover rice? Japanese individuals at all times freeze the rice! We by no means refrigerate the rice as a result of it will get onerous.
I exploit a glass container with a lid. If you happen to already know the way a lot rice you’ll be utilizing, pack away the freshly made rice instantly to seal within the moisture. Make sure you let it cool earlier than placing it within the freezer.
To reheat the rice, open the lid, place a moist paper towel over the glass container, and microwave. It’s identical to freshly made rice.
Professional Tip: I at all times pack totally different parts (one serving and two servings) so we will defrost the correct amount.
Different Methods to Cook dinner Japanese Rice
There are totally different strategies to cook dinner Japanese rice at residence. Every methodology has its benefits, and Japanese households usually personal just a few cooking pots/devices for various events and wishes.
Want to be taught extra about Japanese cooking? Join our free publication to obtain cooking ideas & recipe updates! And keep in contact with me on Fb, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
How you can Cook dinner Japanese Rice in a Pot on the Range
No rice cooker? No drawback! Learn to make a pot of Japanese white rice on the range. My easy ideas and tips will be certain that your steamed rice comes out completely each time.
Servings: 6 rice bowls (cooking 3 rice cooker cups)
Substances
For two Rice Bowls (2¼ cups, 330 g cooked rice)
For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)
For six Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)
For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)
For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)
Stop your display from going darkish
Directions
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Earlier than You Begin: Please notice that Japanese short-grain white rice requires a soaking time of 20–Half-hour. The rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2) for short-grain white rice. The ratio for brown rice is totally different; to be taught extra, learn cook dinner short-grain brown rice in a rice cooker or On the spot Pot.Additionally notice that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of raw Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ cups (330 g) of cooked rice. That is sufficient for 2 Japanese rice bowls (usually 150 g every) or 3 onigiri rice balls (usually 110 g every). 1 cup of cooked rice weighs about 5.3 oz (150 g).
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How you can Measure: Overfill a plastic rice cooker cup (or use a ¾-cup measure) with raw short-grain rice and degree it off. Put the rice in a big bowl. Repeat till you will have the measured quantity of rice wanted. For this recipe, I measured 2¼ cups (3 rice cooker cups) of short-grain white rice. Tip: With out leveling it off, your rice won’t have sufficient water to cook dinner correctly.
To Soak the Rice
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Put the well-drained rice and measured water in a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. For instance, in case you‘re cooking 2¼ cups raw Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups), add 2½ cups water (600 ml). Soak the rice for 20–Half-hour earlier than cooking.
To Steam the Rice
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Take away from the range and let it steam with the lid on for one more 10 minutes. Tip: This resting interval is essential for the rice to steam correctly. Resist the urge to peek beneath the lid and launch the steam throughout this time. After 10 minutes, uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a rice paddle. It‘s now able to serve.
To Retailer
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Switch the rice to hermetic containers and shut the lids to maintain the moisture in. Let cool fully earlier than storing the containers within the freezer (learn my tutorial publish on freeze rice).
Vitamin
Vitamin Information
How you can Cook dinner Japanese Rice in a Pot on the Range
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* P.c Day by day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
Editor’s Observe: This publish was initially revealed on December 4, 2013. It was republished with a brand new video and extra useful content material on March 15, 2024.
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