Rice — cooking methods, textures and uses
A guide to choosing rice and preparing it for its purpose: separate grains for a side dish, gently sticky for a bowl, tangy for sushi, dry on the surface for stir-frying in a wok.
Ingredients
Rice, water or stock. Fats and basic seasonings vary according to the preparation.
| Preparation | Type of rice | Desired texture in the finished dish | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilaf | Basmati or another long-grain rice | Separate, fluffy grains lightly coated in fat | Spiced pilaf; side dish for curries, meat and vegetable stews |
| Poké & Bowls | Short- or medium-grain Japanese rice; glutinous rice as an alternative for a stickier base | Soft, gently clinging grains, easy to gather with the other ingredients | Poké; donburi; bowls with fish, tofu or vegetables |
| Plain rice as a side dish | Jasmine or basmati; glutinous rice for a sticky rice side dish | Distinct, soft grains; compact and sticky in the sticky rice version | Accompaniment to curries and sauced dishes; sticky rice for Thai and Lao dishes |
| Chirashi & Sushi | Short-grain Japanese rice, not glutinous | Whole, glossy, gently clinging grains with a mildly tangy flavour | Chirashi; maki; nigiri; inarizushi |
| Bibimbap | Short- or medium-grain Korean rice, or Japanese rice; optionally blended with glutinous rice | Soft grains that mix with the other ingredients without becoming mushy | Bibimbap with vegetables, egg and meat; vegetarian version; dolsot bibimbap |
| Stir-fried rice | Jasmine or another long-grain rice; Japanese rice for chāhan | Separate grains, dry on the surface, with occasional toasted spots | Cantonese fried rice; Yangzhou fried rice; nasi goreng; chāhan |
Japanese sushi rice is naturally sticky, but it is not glutinous rice. Glutinous rice gives a stickier, chewier texture and needs its own preparation.
Method
Ratios and cooking
Quantities per 100 g of uncooked rice, weighed before washing. Water and stock are given in grams. Cooking times start when the liquid reaches a gentle simmer.
These quantities are starting points for a heavy-based saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Variety, soaking, batch size and steam loss affect the result. The table applies to non-glutinous rice.
| Preparation | Water or stock per 100 g rice | Washing and soaking | Cooking | Resting | Basic seasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilaf | 150–180 g | Wash the basmati and drain well. These ratios do not include soaking | Briefly coat in fat, then add the hot liquid. Covered, over the lowest heat, 12–15 minutes, without stirring | 10 minutes covered, off the heat; then fluff | 5–10 g butter or oil before the liquid. Salt the water or stock according to its saltiness |
| Poké & Bowls | 120–140 g | Wash, drain and soak for 20–30 minutes in the measured cooking water | Covered, over the lowest heat, 12–15 minutes, without stirring | 10–15 minutes covered; then gently loosen | Water only. Salt is optional according to the dish; no sugar or vinegar in the plain base |
| Plain rice as a side dish | Jasmine: 130–150 g. Basmati: 150–170 g | Wash and drain well; no soaking | Covered, over the lowest heat, 10–15 minutes, depending on the variety; without stirring | 10 minutes covered; then fluff | Water only, with optional salt. Usually unsalted as an Asian side dish |
| Chirashi & Sushi | 110–125 g | Wash, drain and soak for 20–30 minutes in the measured cooking water | Covered, over the lowest heat, 12–15 minutes, without stirring | 10–15 minutes covered; season while still hot and allow to cool to lukewarm | Water only for cooking. Afterwards: 15–20 g rice vinegar, 5–8 g sugar and 1.5–2 g salt |
| Bibimbap | 120–140 g | Wash, drain and soak for 20–30 minutes in the measured cooking water | Covered, over the lowest heat, 12–15 minutes, without stirring | 10–15 minutes covered; gently loosen and serve hot | Water only, without salt, sugar or vinegar. Add sesame oil and sauce when assembling the dish |
| Stir-fried rice | 120–140 g, for jasmine or long-grain rice | Wash and drain well; no soaking | Covered, over the lowest heat, 10–15 minutes. The grain must be cooked through | 10 minutes covered; then spread out, cool rapidly and refrigerate | Water only, usually without salt. Oil, sauces and saltiness are added during stir-frying |
Pilaf
Heat the butter or oil. Add the well-drained rice and stir briefly to coat the grains, without necessarily browning them.
Pour in all the hot liquid at once, adjust the salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, lower the heat and cook without stirring. Finish with a rest off the heat, then gently fluff the grains.
Poké, bowls, side dishes and bibimbap
Put the prepared rice in the saucepan with the measured water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over the lowest heat.
Leave to rest without opening the lid. Loosen with a spatula, lifting the rice without crushing it. Serve hot for bibimbap; for bowls, adapt the temperature to the other ingredients.
Chirashi and sushi
Cook the rice and leave to rest. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the rice vinegar, warming it slightly if necessary.
Transfer the rice, still hot, to a wide container. Distribute the seasoning and fold it in with cutting movements of the spatula, allowing steam to escape. Leave to cool to lukewarm and protect from drying with a clean, slightly damp cloth.
Rice for stir-frying
After cooking and resting, spread the rice in a thin layer. Cool rapidly and refrigerate, preferably until the following day.
Gently separate the grains and stir-fry in a very hot wok or large frying pan, working in small batches. Use sauces sparingly so that moisture does not turn stir-frying into a second cooking in liquid.
Tips
- Always using the same saucepan helps refine the ratios. If the rice stays hard, increase the water slightly; if it is too soft, reduce it next time.
- Do not open the lid during cooking or resting: steam is part of the method.
- For Japanese rice, the soaking water is already included in the stated quantity and must not be discarded.
- For chirashi and sushi, use unseasoned rice vinegar. A ready-made seasoning may already contain sugar and salt.
- Rice for the wok must be fully cooked and dry on the surface. Undercooking is no substitute for cooling.
- Cool rice intended for storage rapidly and refrigerate it, avoiding long periods at room temperature.
- For dolsot bibimbap, the hot stone bowl, lightly oiled with sesame oil, forms a crust on the bottom. The rice is cooked normally first.
Variations
Poké with seasoned rice
The base can be plain or seasoned like sushi rice. Vinegar adds freshness and changes the balance with sauces and ingredients.
Chāhan with Japanese rice
Follow the cooking method for plain bowl rice, then cool and dry it as for stir-fried rice. Short grains give a different result from jasmine, but suit the dish.
Sticky rice as a side dish
Glutinous rice is often prepared with a long soak and steaming. It is served compact and sticky: the table’s ratios and times do not apply to this version.
Aromatic pilaf
Spices and aromatics can be added to the initial fat. If using onion, soften it gently before adding the rice; coating the grains in fat does not require intense toasting.