Buzz
Jasmine rice is a fragrant, long-grain rice from Thailand, which tends to be slightly sticky when cooked. It has a rich flavor and is an excellent alternative to regular white rice. The good news is that cooking Jasmine rice in a rice cooker is just as easy and quick as cooking white rice. However, it's important to rinse the rice before cooking to remove dust and bran, ensuring the rice is fluffy and more delicious once cooked.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) Jasmine rice
- 1 cup (240ml) water, plus extra water for soaking the rice
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt (optional)
Instructions
Rinse the Rice
Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with cold water. Put 1 cup (180 g) of Jasmine rice into a large bowl. Pour enough cold water to completely submerge the rice.
Gently stir the rice in the bowl by hand to wash it. Once the rice is covered with water, use your clean hands to gently stir the rice for 3-5 minutes. This helps to remove some of the dust and bran from the rice, and you'll notice the water becoming cloudy.
- Be as gentle as possible. Stirring too vigorously could break the grains and cause a loss of nutrients.
Drain the water and refill the bowl with fresh water. After stirring the rice for a few minutes, pour the water through a strainer or sieve to discard the dirty water. Clean the bowl, return the rice, and add fresh cold water again.
Repeat the rinsing process. After the rice is submerged in clean water, stir the rice gently for another 2-3 minutes. This time, the water should be less cloudy because most of the dust and bran has been removed.
Drain the water one last time. After the second rinse, pour the rice through a strainer or sieve to remove the water. Shake the strainer or sieve gently to allow the excess water to drain completely.
- If the water still appears cloudy after the second rinse, it's a good idea to rinse the rice again. Continue rinsing until the water looks clear.
Cooking the Rice
Place the rice and water into the rice cooker. Once the Jasmine rice is clean, add it to the rice cooker. Then, pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water.
- For Jasmine rice, use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. You can adjust the quantity based on the number of servings. 1 cup (180 g) of Jasmine rice and 1 cup (240 ml) of water will yield 4 to 6 servings of cooked rice.
Add salt if desired. If you like to season the rice before cooking, add ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt to the cooker. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to ensure everything is well-mixed.
- Adding salt is optional. You can skip this step based on your taste preferences.
Soak the rice for 1 hour to soften it. After mixing the rice, water, and salt in the rice cooker, cover it with the lid and let it soak for 1 hour. This gives the rice time to soften and results in a fluffier texture once cooked.
Follow the instructions on the rice cooker's manual. After soaking the rice to soften it, turn on the rice cooker. Be sure to check the user manual to select the most suitable settings and cook the rice according to the recommended time.
- Most rice cookers have preset cooking programs that automatically turn off once the cooking time is complete. For Jasmine rice, cook it for about 25 minutes in the rice cooker.
Finishing Touches
Let the rice “rest” for at least 10 minutes. Once the Jasmine rice is cooked, you can turn off the rice cooker. However, avoid removing the rice immediately. Instead, let the rice sit in the cooker for about 10-15 minutes.
- During this time, do not open the rice cooker lid.
Fluff the rice. After the rice has rested for a few minutes, use a wooden rice paddle to gently fluff it. This step will help release any remaining steam and make the rice fluffier and softer.
Scoop the rice into a bowl and serve. Once the rice is fluffed, use a spoon to transfer it into a bowl. You can serve it as a side dish alongside your favorite main course (meat, fish, etc.). Jasmine rice tastes best when served warm right after cooking.
Advice
- Avoid lifting the lid to check when the rice is cooking. Doing so can slow down the cooking process and result in chewy rice grains.
Essential Items
- Large bowl
- Rice cooker
- Wooden rice scooper
