Don't over-stir: That can cause the rice to become sticky. Cover the pot and simmer. Be sure the lid fits tightly on the pot and turn the heat to its lowest setting. Let the rice simmer for about 18 minutes, then remove from heat and allow the rice to steam in the pot for another 5 minutes.
Never stir your rice! Stirring activates starch and will make your rice gloppy. That's what makes risotto so creamy." Rice is like pasta—you have to salt the water, or else you'll have bland rice.
Similarly, stirring your rice while it cooks will activate the starches and leave you with clumpy, mushy rice. Your rice only needs a quick fluff with a fork once it's finished cooking.
Don't stir the rice EVER except for the one time you did it when you added the measured water. Once it comes to a boil, keep an eye on it and wait until the water level dips below the level of the rice.
Stir it a couple of times to keep the grains from sticking together, but don't over-stir – once or twice should do it. TIP: add some butter (about 1 tbsp) to the pot when you add the rice. Keep the heat on high until the water rises back to a simmer, then reduce it to low.
Not enough stirring in the beginning
You should start out with higher heat and once it's boiling, move it to a simmer. If you don't stir it enough during this process then some rice can stick to the bottom and if it isn't dealt with, then it might burn.
One of the most overlooked steps in cooking rice is the resting period. If you were to open the lid and spoon out rice just after water has been absorbed, you would find that the grains are unevenly cooked: firmer on the top and mushy on the bottom. You haven't messed up; you just need to let the rice rest.
Regardless of which cooking method is chosen, the proportion of liquid to rice and the cooking time are key to preparing perfectly cooked rice. The general "rule of thumb" is 2 to 1 (2 parts liquid to 1 part rice by volume).
Mushy or soggy rice is simply overcooked rice that has absorbed too much water. Water over-absorption causes the rice grains to split open, ruining the texture and creating a starchy, gummy result.
How does reheated rice cause food poisoning? Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
White rice essentially triples in both volume and weight after cooking. 1 cup of white rice will yield 3 cups; 1 kg of white rice will yield 3 kg.
You stir once to be sure there are no dry spots — although it seems like it would be impossible for dry spots to exist, the rice can clump up and you'll end up with dry undercooked spots. Stir only once because doing it any more than that will cause more starch to be released into the water.
Simmer gently for 10 mins and do not take the lid off.
Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain - this should also be indicated by the appearance of small holes on the surface and all the water having been absorbed. Keep cooking for another couple of mins if it isn't quite ready, then turn the heat off.
Not only will boiling cause your water to evaporate more quickly, the violent agitation will also stir up additional starches from the rice, making it extra sticky.
If your rice is already stickier than you'd like, you could try rinsing it under cold water to remove some of the excess starch. After rinsing, spread the rice onto a sheet tray and place in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes to dry it out a bit.
If the rice is only a little sticky, it can be saved. Turn it out into a colander and rinse it under cool water, separating the grains with your fingers. But if it's extra mushy, the best thing to do is start over, make a new batch, and use the overcooked, leftover rice for another purpose.
If the rice is too sticky or gummy, it means that it is overcooked. After draining the rice, pour a light stream of cool water over the sieve or colander. Gently unstick the grains of rice with your fingers.
He shared tips for making the perfect rice. "I call this the 10-10-5-rule. I go high heat for 10 minutes. Once it starts boiling, I go medium heat for ten minutes and five minute low high heat," says Cho.
Rice Cooking Tip: If you think you put too much water in your rice, stick a spoon in the middle of the pot. If your spoon stands still, you have enough water. If your spoon falls over, you have to take out some of the water:) Vanessa Gonzalez and 1,026 others like this.
Rinsing rice before cooking is an Asian practice to remove dirt, dust and excess starch; but it's actually optional. However, we recommend cooking with a little less water if you rinse, because, without the starch to absorb the bit of extra water, your white rice may turn out too mushy.
Let the rice rest. By leaving the rice covered and off the heat once the timer goes off, you allow residual steam to absorb and the rice grains to firm up a bit so that when you stir it, it doesn't all break up like rice pudding. This is part of what makes rice a great side dish!
Let the rice rest covered for at least 5 minutes.
While the rice rests, its grains cool off slightly and firm up. If you stir the rice as soon as it's cooked, while it's still very hot and moist, the grains can break up and get mushy.