The Rice Association has released a definitive guide to cooking rice, and its most valuable recommendation concerns what to do after the rice has finished cooking.
According to the guide, allowing the rice to rest for approximately five minutes once cooked, with the lid kept on, before fluffing with a fork, gives the grains time to settle. This results in a fluffier and more flavoursome outcome.
Follow packet instructions
The guide also advises always adhering to the packet instructions, as cooking durations and water measurements differ depending on the variety of rice. Brown rice, for example, typically requires a considerably longer cooking time than most white rice varieties.
Different varieties demand different treatment. Rinsing certain types can result in a lighter, fluffier finish, while others, such as risotto rice, should never be rinsed, as doing so would wash away the starch that gives it its creamy consistency.
Know your rice varieties
Rice generally falls into one of three principal categories: short grain, medium grain and long grain. Long-grain rice has slender kernels that tend to remain separate and fluffy once cooked, making it ideal for curries, stir-fries, salads and soups.
Medium-grain rice is slightly shorter and plumper, with a softer texture, and is commonly found in Asian-inspired dishes, from rice bowls through to Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Korean cuisine. Short-grain rice features small, rounded grains that become stickier upon cooking, making it well-suited to dishes that require the grains to bind together, such as sushi, rice puddings, sweet rice dishes and breakfast meals.
