Rice is one the most versatile foods, pairing well with everything from chicken, beef and fish to curries, stir-fried vegetables and a range of sauces. But, cooking it can sometimes prove to be a bit of a challenge.
Common mistakes made when cooking rice include not rinsing the rice properly or not having the right water-to-rice ratio. This can result in undercooked, mushy or dry rice, none of which are particularly pleasant to eat. And even if you do get everything right, you can still end up with a flavourless side dish. Luckily, there’s an easy fix.
Writing on food blog The Kitchn, expert Emma Christensen shared her favourite ways to make “a boring pot of rice taste amazing”.
Her first trick to “keep rice flavourful” is to toast the grains.
“Toasting the dry rice grains in a little butter or olive oil before adding the water brings out their flavour and adds a fantastic nutty note in the finished dish,” she explained.
She recommended trying this trick with brown rice or whole grains like barley.
Her second tip involved adding just one extra ingredient to the pan during the cooking process.
Emma suggested cooking the rice with chicken or vegetable stock, which can either be in the form of leftover homemade stock or a stock cube.
She said: “I sometimes find that using 100 percent chicken broth can make the rice feel gummy or overly-starchy,” adding: “I usually go for a 50/50 mix of broth and water.
“This adds a layer of flavour and richness without going overboard.”
Her final suggestion was to season the rice with whatever you’re already cooking, like the some of the same seasonings you’re using for the main dish.
The expert urged home cooks to use whole spices for subtle flavours and ground spices for a stand-out dish. She also explained she “almost always” adds a bay leave, regardless of what she’s cooking.
