Help with cooking red rice?

[Curmudgeoness]

A friend who always tried to get me to eat healthy bought me a huge bag of red rice for Christmas. I have decided to try it, and there are no directions for cooking on the package. Not that I would have been able to read them if they were there since it looks to be written in Chinese, but there is nothing there.

So, I did a search for this and found everything from 15 to 50 minutes cooking time. I am assuming that I will use twice as much water as I do rice. But time?????

Also, since I have this HUGE bag, if you have any recipes to try, I would appreciate help with that.....but first, I have to get this red rice cooked.

Agh.

[CottonBear]

1. One cup rice for each two cups water for 50 minutes.

I just purchased some red rice. The 2:1 recipe seems to be a good one. Boil water & add rice, turn down to medium low (one to one and one half setting above low) and cook for 50 minutes.

edit: I use a pan/pot with a glass lid so I can check H2O level. When the water is absorbed, and 50 minutes is timed, then I fluff the rice with a fork, replace the lid and leave the rice in the pot (off the heat) until the rest of the dinner is served. I do try to time everything so that the rice is just done when the steamed veggies are ready to be served.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. After so much research, I was just lost.

Some say cook just like white rice for 20 minutes. Some say it cooks faster than other rices (what does that even mean since brown rice takes a long time to cook and white rice, not so much?!?). Other places said 50 minutes.

So I did the 2:1 ratio, cooked it for 20 minutes and tested it---it was not done. So continued for another 20 minutes (40 minutes total), left it sit for another five minutes, and it was delicious. Red rice has lots of flavor to it.

I was trying to time the rice with the rest of the dinner, but that didn't seem possible today---so I prepared a one pot recipe so when the rice was done, the meal was done. I now can try just red rice with sauteed veggies next time knowing that it will take about 45 minutes to prepare!

Thanks for answering.

[CottonBear]

7. I just discovered red rice too. I bought Lundberg Wehani aromatic red rice.

I'm going to try the 40 minutes of cooking and 5 minutes of sitting method the next time I cook it. I find that every variety of rice needs to be cooked differently. Also, the stove and the pot that are used make a big difference too. I have a favorite rice pot and I always use it. Letting the rice sit for 5 to 10 minutes is a great way to avoid burning or overcooking.

[Warpy]

2. If it's a whole grain rice, boil for 20 minutes and then steam for 30 minutes

A double boiler is great for stuff like this, making sure the bottom layer doesn't burn if the water is all taken up 5 minutes before the cooking time is up.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. I have never steamed rice before.

Can you give me more information on doing this? I guess I am lucky, because I never have a problem with my rice doesn't burn and leaving the rice sit in the pan for a few minutes helps to get any stuck rice off the bottom. But that is with jasmine rice, which has been my weakness for the past few years---and that is a white rice that takes 20 minutes to cook. So a new kind of rice is a dilemma for me.

I think I have the idea for what you are saying---use a double boiler with water in the bottom pan and the rice up over that pan. Do I use the same amount of water in the rice (2:1 ratio)? Do I actually boil the rice covered for the first 20 minutes, or do I just bring it to a boil and then turn heat down? Do I just do a simmer with the double boiler for the final 30 minutes or do I have it at a rapid boil the whole time?

Ugh, I have white rice cooking down pat, and they have to introduce something new to me! And no instructions! I guess that anyone who buys a big bag of Chinese rice already knows how to cook it.

On edit, how do I know if this is a long grain rice? It looks long to me. It looks just like the white rice we have always had here that is long grain, except that it is red.

[Warpy]

5. You boil the rice directly over the flame, then transfer the pot to the top of the double boiler

If it's more than twice as long as it is wide, it's a long grain rice, higher in protein and doesn't reheat as well as a starchy short grain rice.

Some people prize the slightly burnt layer of brown rice on the bottom of the pan. I never did, hence the double boiler.

With white rice, I boil it for ten minutes and then let it sit off heat and steam for 10 minutes, fluff with a fork, and let sit another 5 minutes while I'm plating the rest of my food.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. I will have to try this technique.

This is all new to me. Thanks for the instructions.

[Major Nikon]

8. It's whole grain rice, but it cooks like regular rice

If it's like the red rice I get at the oriental market, I've found you can cook it just like regular long grain white rice.

Twice the volume of water to rice. Add a bit of salt, bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.

I like it because you get the added flavor, nutrients, and fiber as whole grain rice, but it's as easy to cook as processed rice.

[HopeHoops]

9. FIFTY MINUTES? Fuck that noise. Any rice works with a simple cooking rule.

I've cooked all kinds of rice (not counting Uncle Ben's Perverted stuff).

The basic rule is simple. Two parts rice, three parts water - parts, here - whatever you measure the rice with, do it with the water too. Cover it and bring it to a boil. Stir once and place the lid on and get the flame/burner down to the lowest possible setting. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and GO AWAY! It won't disappear on you. When the timer goes off, stir it again and put the lid back on. With everything but sweet or sushi rice, set the timer for 10 minutes. With sweet/sushi rice, set it for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir it quickly and put the lid on. You can let it sit for an hour and it won't get cold, but at least give it ten minutes to steam. It works every time.

If you boil rice in too much water for an hour, you're making playdough, not rice.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. Thanks, I will try that.

I am surprised at how much I am hearing about steaming the rice off the burner for at while to finish the cooking. I have never known this, and I have been making what I thought was yummy rice for years and years. But most of that time, it has only been the white long grain that has always been common. (Not Uncle Ben's since I am too cheap for that.)

What interests me about your basic recipe is that it is not the ratio of water/rice that every package of rice I have ever seen had on it. The standard appears to be 2 water to 1 rice. But I am willing to see how the 3 water to 2 rice will be different than what I have been eating.

As it turned out, the red rice I made was very good, not soggy even with the 2:1 ratio, and it had much more flavor than white rice. (My favorite is still jasmine rice only because the scent as it is cooking is to die for, but this red rice was much tastier .)

[HopeHoops]

11. Two to one means "boil the piss out of it until you have goo".

I've been cooking rice for over 30 years by that method and I've only had one failure - on an electric stove. They don't get a "low" heat like a gas/propane stove will. The worst you'll encounter is a little burned stuff at the bottom, but soak it for ten minutes in cold water and the pan will clean up perfectly.

[kurtzapril4]

12. I cook my rice like I cook spaghetti

in lots of water. When the suggested time is up, I pour it through a strainer to drain, fluff it up with a fork, and go. Works with brown and white rice, and minute rice, too. Haven't had "goo" yet!

[HopeHoops]

13. That's fine as long as you don't over cook it - same with spaghetti.

[CottonBear]

19. I've never tried that method, but I think I will the next time I cook rice.

I am always willing to try new ways to cook. Rice can be so difficult to get right. It depends on the rice variety, the pot/rice cooker, the type of stove, the amount of water and the length of cooking and sitting time.

Cooking rice the "right way" is an ongoing learning process.

[Major Nikon]

14. Whole grain rice is a different animal

That is most whole grain rice. Whole grain rice means the outer husk has been removed, but the bran and germ are still intact. Processed rice (most of what you find at the supermarket), has the husk, bran, and germ removed leaving the endosperm exposed. Brown rice requires more water and longer cooking times because the bran must be broken down before the inner core will be cooked. If you cook brown rice for only 15-20 minutes like you would with white rice, the result will be a crunchy, inedible mess because the endosperm will still be raw. Alton Brown recommends cooking brown rice in the oven for 1 hour, which seems to work better than making it on the stove.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

Converted brown rice like Uncle Ben's partially cooks the raw rice before the husk is removed. This breaks down the bran and allows the rice to be cooked faster while still retaining much of the nutritional value of brown rice.

The red rice I buy (not sure if it's the same as the OP's) is whole grain rice that cooks like processed rice, which is quite nice because you get the extra nutritional value and taste of the bran and germ, but you can cook it as you would white rice.

[HopeHoops]

15. Oh bullshit. I cook whole grain in 25 minutes (with 10 to steam afterward).

It always comes out perfectly. The "boil it forever" thing just makes it sticky.

You only need a lot of water for high-heat cooking. It never results in good rice. The low-temperature technique steams it and it always turns out fine. Just leave the lid on.

[Major Nikon]

16. Whatever works for you

But you're still talking about 35 minutes of cooking time which is considerably more that what it takes for white rice. The bottom line is you can't cook white rice and brown rice with the same cook times and method without either under or over cooking one or the other unless you've figured out a way to change the laws of physics. The bran that coats brown rice prevents it from cooking at the same rate.

[HopeHoops]

17. Sushi rice takes 20 minutes. Perverted rice doesn't count.

Basmati takes about the same. Brown rice only takes another five minutes, but it is the steaming time after you turn off the burner that really makes it perfect. No rush - it will stay warm for up to an hour.

On Edit: Perverted rice is just ground up rice bits glued back together with GOD knows what and shaped into little rice turds. Bleah. I never liked the shit as a kid and I still won't touch it.

[Major Nikon]

18. Not sure what you're calling "perverted rice"

I'm assuming you mean converted rice. Converted rice has just been parboiled or pre-steamed in the husk, then the husk is removed. This breaks down the bran so that it basically behaves like white rice. I have no aversion to it, but I just don't have any culinary uses for it and IIRC it isn't that much more nutritious than white rice.

[Tekir Kedi]

20. A recipe...assuming that you have not managed to work your way through the huge bag yet....

This recipe's instructions were developed for a Home Economics Foods Class and so this is the reason for the 1/2 and full recipe amounts. Use the Quick Sourdough starter for the Bread recipe. I have a tendency to forget my starter in the back of the fridge and need to restart it, so I find the Quick version works and gives an instant sour flavour. Original bread recipe used Wehani brown rice by Lund Farms but will work with other brown and red rices.

Basic Sourdough Starter
½ full recipe
250 500 mL flour
22 45 mL sugar
7.5 15 mL active yeast
250 500 mL warm water

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon. The mixture will be lumpy, but fermentation will break up the lumps.

2. Leave the mixture in the container covered with a clean cloth, in a warm place, until clear liquid forms on top of the mixture. This signals that the starter is fully developed.

3. Stir liquid back into starter. Remove required amount for recipe.

4. Refrigerate remaining starter in vented container. Feed every week or sooner if needed for use by adding equal amounts of water and flour. After replenishing, leave the starter in its container overnight at room temperature. Return to refrigerator to store.


Quick Sourdough Starter (use this for the next recipe)
½ full recipe
250 500 mL flour
22 45 mL sugar
7.5 15 mL active yeast
200 400 mL buttermilk
50 100 mL water

Follow instructions for basic sourdough starter, but add in buttermilk-water combination to feed starter to maintain the sourness without the starter being handed down from generation to generation. Or make fresh starter with this method each time.

Note: Buttermilk can be made by mixing whole milk with some buttermilk and left at room temperature on top of fridge/in warm place to turn into buttermilk. Sour cream can be made the same way using cream and sour cream. Yogurt needs higher temperatures. As long as all utensils are absolutely clean, there is no danger of food poisoning associated with this method.


Tekir Kedi's Sourdough Spanish Rice Bread
Makes 1 round sourdough loaf or 2 medium loaves (for full recipe)

½ full recipe
125 250 mL cooked Wehani (is a variety of red rice) Brown Rice™ (Lund Farms) (can use red rice but you may need to add 5 mins to your usual cook time)
250 500 mL sourdough starter (from all-purpose flour)
8 15 mL yeast
125 250 mL warm water
3.5 7 mL salt
22 45 mL skim milk powder
15 30 mL oil
22 45 mL sugar
15 30 mL minced onion (1/4 onion-small onion for full recipe, 1/8 for 1/2)
2.5 5 mL paprika, Spanish
5 10 mL basil
750 1500 mL all purpose flour (maximum amount, add only as much flour as the dough needs.
½ 1 egg, beaten

1. Combine all ingredients except flour and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add 125/250 mL of the flour. Mix thoroughly to develop the gluten. Continue to add flour 125/250 mL at a time, mixing well each time until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.

2. Thoroughly clean and dry a counter or table and place a layer of flour on the surface (250/500 mL). Scrape the dough out of the bowl, and knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary. Try not to force too much flour in or bread will be heavy. (Baby’s bum consistency!)

3. Oil a bowl and place the dough in it. Turn the dough over and around to oil all surfaces of the dough. Cover with saran and a clean cloth and leave the dough in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. (We will be bagging and refrigerating.)

4. When the dough has doubled, loaf the dough into one round loaf or divide the dough in half and make two sandwich-shaped bread loaves.

5. Preheat oven to 350̊C (180̊F). Prepare a baking sheet (parchment or grease and flour), for the single loaf, or two loaf pans and place the bread to rise on the sheet or in the loaf pans, seam side down. Slash the top of the loaf in the traditional diamond pattern with a sharp razor blade when partly risen.

5. When the bread has fully risen, bake for 30 minutes. Take the bread out and brush the top(s) with beaten egg. Send the bread back in for a further 20 minutes. Tap the bread with your fingers; if it sounds hollow it is done. If not, bake for a further 5 minutes (cover with foil tent).
6. Allow to cool before slicing. Toast slices and serve with plain cream cheese.

bon appetite, afiyet olsun, enjoy
PS. This was in nice columns but this posting program seems to have mucked that up.

[Curmudgeoness]

21. That sounds delicious.

I have worked my way through that bag of rice, but I have worked my way into so many different kinds of rice now. Knowing how to cook it properly was the key, and now I am playing with red and black and brown rices. But I will have to try this....I love sourdough breads.

Thanks.

[Kali]

22. Merhaba!

Welcome to DU.