Rice becomes instantly more flavoursome and aromatic with one trick, according to experienced home chefs. A group shared their top methods for upgrading everyday rice, and one approach stood out for its flavour and irresistible aroma with minimal extra effort.
Instead of boiling rice, the home cooks agreed that the alternative cooking method transforms the dish in just a few extra minutes. Cooking rice pilaf style, a method where rice is toasted and cooked in a seasoned broth, came out on top on a Reddit cooking board with 135 votes.
The cook wrote: “Plain rice is always going to be plain and ideally you eat it something else. For flavourful rice on its ‘own’, cook it pilaf style rather than plain.
“Toast the rice in oil before adding the liquid, use aromatics and/or spices (usually you want to sweat/toast these a bit before adding the rice), and use stock/broth instead of water.”
To cook pilaf style, start by sauteeing the rice in oil or butter with aromatics like onions, garlic, and warming spices such as cumin, cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom. This not only enhances the flavour but helps keep the grains separate.
Then, instead of plain water, add broth or stock to add even more flavour. The result is a richly aromatic dish that transforms humble white rice into something special.
Another home chef responded: “Try with butter, chicken broth, half lemon juice. You could also add orzo during frying the rice. My parents makes pilaf and adds small cubes of sautéed carrots, very tasty.”
The cook revealed it can be adapted in many different ways, including cooking vegetables and meat together with the rice for a complete one-pot meal.
“There’s millions of different ways to go with this since every culture has their own versions of pilaf, and of course you’re free to improvise with your own favourite flavour combinations.”