How to cook rice – Let us learn how to cook rice perfectly with open pot draining method which helps in draining starch.How to cook rice in open pot is explained in this post with step by step pictures. How to cook rice fluffy & healthy without starch is the highlight of this post.
Cook rice in open pot is the age old method followed by our elders but it needs baby sitting as we need to keep checking for the doneness.After the use of pressure cookers this method had been slowly fading away.
Rice is the standard staple of India adored as a lunch meal, Biryani, Pulao, Fried Rice, Variety rice, Bath, Vadam and many more.
I have been grown up eating rice in this method so am not fond of cooker rice and I can easily find out the difference between both the rice.Though each has its own benefits I love this method may be am used to it so find it easy.
I use cooker only for pulao,biryani and such one pot dishes and sometimes for cooking basmati rice for fried rice.
More rice recipes
Difference between rice in cooker and open pot
- Cooker needs no baby sitting just count the whistles and you are done.But open pot method needs to be checked often for doneness.
- Cooker rice can be mushy/undercooked at times incase the cooker whistle has issues inbetween.Open pot method we keep checking so there is less chance for mushy/undercooked rice.
- Cooker is easy for beginners but open pot method takes a little time to get used to.
- Cooker rice doesn’t let out water if kept for a long time but in open pot method rice lets out water after long hrs(say 8-9 hrs).If we keep rice for noon at 12PM ,the rice becomes mushy around 8PM(incase if you want to reuse it).
- Maintenance is more in cooker, no maintenance at all in one pot method.Just any container and a lid will do.
- Cooker rice will not easily break if cooked perfectly, but rice cooked in draining method easily mushes up so we need to be very careful while making variety dishes.
- I have read and hear people say in draining method the starch goes off so best for weigtht loss but am really not sure of this.And for that reason there are starch free diet cookers being available in market these days.
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📖 Recipe Card
How to cook rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice ponni pulungal rice - parboiled rice
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl - add rice soak in water. Keep covered for 10 mins though this step is optional it ensures fast cooking. I sometimes forget to soak and add rinsed rice as such too.
- Rinse well atleast 2-3 times, drain water and set aside.
- Boil 4 cups water when it starts to boil rigorously, simmer and add drained rice.
- Give a quick mix. Let it cook in low medium flame.
- Keep checking, cook until rice is easily mashable but not too mushy. At this stage, switch off.
- Gently remove from flame using a cloth. You can either drain using a colander or drain using the traditional method. I have shown the colander just for your reference. I usually drain like this : First pour the excess water to a vessel.
- Seal both sides using clips. Slant it over the same bowl leaning on the wall. Keep it in the slant position for at least 20 mins for all the excess water to drain completely. Now take out the clips.
- This starch water can be used for drinking as such or used to season iron utensils or rinsing your hair or starching your cotton clothes etc, it has many more uses like this, Set aside to use. Now take the rice pot and fluff the rice. Rice will be grain separated and soft.
- Serve rice hot with any curry of your choice.
Video
Notes
- The time for cooking can't be predicted as it depends on the rice variety and age of the rice.
- I use ponni pulungal arisi.
- I have used lid with holes but you can use regular fitting lid too but make sure you slant the lid for the water to drip.
- Also while slanting make sure to lean on the wall for support.Be careful as it will be hot, I usually use a cloth.
- If you don't have a proper lid then you can drain using a colander too as I've shown in the steps.
How to Cook Rice
- To a mixing bowl – add rice soak in water.Keep covered for 10 mins though this step is optional it ensures fast cooking.I sometimes forget to soak and add rinsed rice as such too.
- Rinse well atleast 2-3 times,drain water and set aside.
- Boil 4 cups water when it starts to boil rigorously, simmer and add drained rice.
- Give a quick mix.Let it cook in low medium flame.
- Keep checking, cook until rice is easily mashable but not too mushy.At this stage, switch off.
- Gently remove from flame using a cloth.You can either drain using a colander or drain using the traditional method.I have shown the colander just for your reference.I usually drain like this : First pour the excess water to a vessel.
- Seal both sides using clips.Slant it over the same bowl leaning on the wall.Keep it in the slant position for atleast 20 mins for all the excess water to drain completely.Now take out the clips.
- This starch water can be used for drinking as such or used to season iron utensils or rinsing your hair or starching your cotton clothes etc, it has many more uses like this,Set aside to use.Now take the rice pot and fluff the rice.Rice will be grain seperated and soft.
Serve hot with any curry of your choice.
Rice cooked and you can use it for making variety rice or have it as such with any curry of your choice.
Bindu
Hello sharmi..where can we get the lid with holes to drain water
Sharmilee J
I bought it from a local store here in Coimbatore steel house