Simple Perfect Rice Recipe
A straightforward and reliable method for making light, fluffy, and never mushy rice using simple pantry ingredients and an easy stovetop technique.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Universal
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (about 185 grams)
- 1 ¾ cups water (415 ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the rice: Place 1 cup (185 g) of rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds. Drain well.
- Combine rice and water: In your saucepan, add the rinsed rice and 1 ¾ cups (415 ml) cold water. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and optional butter or oil.
- Bring to a boil: Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring water to a rolling boil. Watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over.
- Simmer with lid on: Once boiling, reduce heat to the lowest setting and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let it simmer gently for 18 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during this time.
- Turn off heat and rest: After 18 minutes, turn off the stove but leave the lid on. Let the rice rest and steam for 10 more minutes.
- Fluff and serve: Remove lid, gently fluff rice with a fork to separate grains, and serve immediately.
Notes
Rinse rice thoroughly to remove excess starch. Use precise water-to-rice ratio to avoid mushiness. Do not lift lid during cooking to keep steam trapped. Let rice rest off heat to firm up grains. If rice is wet after fluffing, spread on baking sheet to air dry briefly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup cooked rice
- Calories: 200
- Sodium: 230
- Fat: 0.8
- Saturated Fat: 0.2
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 0.6
- Protein: 4
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