Color me surprised!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

I have always been the most traditional of cooks when it came to fixing rice. Just plain white rice. I decided to cook some tonight to have on hand for tomorrow - fried rice fixins'.

Because it was busy in the kitchen, I decided to use the microwave to cook the rice. What the hell, I figured. If it didn't work out, big deal.

I am here to tell you that I'll never fix rice any other way ever again.

One cup of rice, two-and-one-half cups of hot water, two tablespoons of olive oil, all in the two-and-one-half quart dish.

Stir. Cover.

Microwave on HIGH for five minutes.

Stir. Cover.

Microwave on 60% power for fifteen minutes.

Let it sit for five minutes or longer.

I'm absolutely blown away by how well this worked. The dish went right into the dishwasher - nothing stuck. Couldn't be easier.

[Warpy]

1. Throw rice into the cooker bowl

Add the right amount of water. Cover. Flip the switch.

Works fine although the one I have now does a slightly better job on brown rice than white rice. Since I should be eating mostly brown rice, that's fine with me.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. We don't have a rice cooker

It's just not worth it for the amount that we eat, and superfluous appliances have accounted for all those really big trips to Goodwill.

I'm just smitten with this microwave method. It's lovely. And there's nothing left sitting on the corner, plugged in.

Brown rice makes rotten fried rice. We're such white people, we just go with it...........................................

[Warpy]

3. Ha! Understood

but I've found long grain brown rice to do quite a nice fried rice. You just can't use short grain brown rice for risotto, the bran prevents starch from entering the liquid to make it creamy.

I got sick of realizing the rice was done by smelling burnt rice when I got lost on the puter so I got a $14 rice cooker.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I've never had any luck

fixing fried rice with any kind of rice other than long grain white. It's maybe a holdover from my Chinese days.

That's the beauty of the microwave method. No timers to jump at when they go off, no running to get the pot off the burner. It just stays in the microwave, and it's easy to live with that little "beep" every five minutes.

Ever fix jook in your rice cooker? When I lived in Hong Kong, that was going all the time - whoever walked by just threw another scoop of raw rice into the cooker, threw in some water, and went on. Tasty stuff, jook.

I just found this - http://tinyurl.com/5sr9aw - great fun.

[soleiri]

7. I need a new rice cooker.

I have a tiny one that was perfect when my boys were little. Now that they’re teenagers they eat the whole rice dish themselves.
I’ve been looking for one that cooks brown rice and oatmeal. I tried oatmeal in mine and it was, ehem, interesting.

[Tesha]

5. cooking rice...

I used to cook my rice in a beautiful little pan, always perfect - always a headache, timing, checking, fluffing.

SO I bought a compact little cooker, fits in a cupboard, teflon, auto-shutoff, cheap - heaven. Cup of rice, two of water, press the lever, put on the lid and next thing you know, that lovely nutty smell of cooked rice is wafting through my kitchen.

Our neighbor from Indonesia liked it so much she bought the extra larger version for her family of 5 and it says on her counter for use several times a week.

I agree, cooking rice on the stove is a pain, and it's lovely finding an easier method.

[soleiri]

6. great idea

20 minutes? I think that’s even quicker than my rice cooker.
I may try it in the mornings when the boys beg for rice with butter and sugar (one of their favorite breakfasts).

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. That's your boys' idea of a great breakfast?

What smart kids you have!!!!

Check out the link to the article about jook that I posted here a little while ago. That's a great breakfast porridge they might enjoy as they get older - and the variations that Bittman includes are really nice.

Twenty minutes. Five minutes to sit. You can fix it the night before and then just reheat it in the morning. I did this rice today while we were putting together a complicated dinner, so it was just sort of an ancillary thing, but, boy, did it turn out nicely.

I still have that article window open, so here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/5sr9aw

[soleiri]

9. We're vegetarian, but I can adjust!

bookmarked for later, thanks.

[grasswire]

13. have they tried brown sugar and butter?

Oh my. I love that on rice.

[soleiri]

20. I tried it this morning

yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.

[The empressof all]

21. I love that too.

Have you tried sticking it under the broiler for a minute to "burn" the sugar. Oh yum. I also like it with real maple syrup and lots and lots of butter.

[hippywife]

16. My mom used to make that for us

when we were kids. I still enjoy it every once in a while. :D

[Mind_your_head]

10. In ANY saucepan with a lid......

put 1 cup rice with two cups water. Bring to the boil. Give a quick stir then turn down the heat to the lowest it will go, put a lid on and set the timer for 18 minutes (no peeking). When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let it rest (continue steaming) for another 10 minutes - it's ready for any/everything ~ it's DONE! Simple. No special pans or nuthin'.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. Yep,

that's pretty much how I've always cooked rice.

The microwave makes it much better for me because there is no "turn off the heat" that will interrupt me in whatever I'm doing when that damn timer goes off. With the microwave method, the rice just sits there, as it should, until I'm ready for it.

That's the beauty of it, and that's why I'll never bother with a pot, pan, lid, timer, and stove again.

[Mind_your_head]

12. Whatever works best ......cooking is like math.....there are many "methods" that

all lead to the correct/best answer ~ or something like that! lol ;-)

[ginnyinWI]

14. I'm going to try your microwave method--have a question:

I've always just done it with a saucepan on stovetop--and it always boils over at least once. Cause I am not going to stand there and watch it cook--I've always got one or two other things going.

About your container: is it a casserole dish with a glass cover, or is it just covered loosely with waxed paper or something? Must the steam be kept sealed in? Thanks!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. I used a Corningware casserole

A 2-1/2 quart casserole, just like this one:



I just put the glass lid on it, and walked away. I'm with you on the boiling over and having to tend to it when the timer goes off.

I don't think waxed paper would work, though; I think it needs a solid top, as you noted, to keep the steam in.

Good luck!

[ginnyinWI]

18. thanks--will give it a try. n/t

[hippywife]

17. That's the way I do it.

I'm generally at the stove cooking something else to go with it so I don't worry about going off and leaving it. I find, too, that even if it sticks in the bottom a little bit from cooking a minute or two longer than necessary, if in just the time it's set aside in the pan with the lid on it, it rehydrates and comes off clean. Really not much fuss to it at all.

[MagickMuffin]

19. Our stove top method

Melt some butter add rice stir until completely coated, add water, bring to boil for 3 or 4 minutes depending on the type of rice. Turn off heat cover and let sit for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of rice. The recipe is a two to one ratio.

Rice is fluffy and yummy.

[ginnyinWI]

22. it turned out very nicely.

I made it in the microwave with a corningware casserole with lid. The rice was good: not sticky, not burnt or dry. Seemed more like the rice you get in a restaurant. :)