MasterChef 2014 winner Ping Coombes has shared her expert advice on cooking rice, a staple she believes is often mishandled in the West. The Malaysian-born chef, who runs Ping's Masak Club cookery school and Ping's Makan Club supper club, says rice should never be an afterthought.
Coombes emphasises the importance of washing rice before cooking and using the absorption method rather than boiling and draining. 'If you cook it with a lot of water and then drain it, you're wasting all that goodness in your rice,' she explains. Her go-to is jasmine rice, with a water-to-rice ratio of 1:1 to 1:1.5.
She also advises letting rice rest for 20 to 30 minutes after cooking. 'Not letting it rest or steam is a major mistake,' she says. 'Digestion-wise, it's better to eat slightly warm rice than hot rice. You taste everything more when the rice is warm.'
Coombes recalls growing up in Ipoh, Malaysia, where rice was central to meals. 'Rice is precious,' she says, noting the labour involved in its cultivation. Her latest book, titled 'Rice', aims to help home cooks perfect this essential grain.
