How To Cook Chinese White Rice Recipe: Hot and Fluffy Steamed Rice!
Today’s recipe is a bit surprising. Surprising in the sense that you might think what is there to tell about cooking rice? It is probably the easiest recipe out there. You just need to wash the rice and boil it until it is cooked. This is where most people make the mistake.
Rice is indeed easy to cook, but it isn’t easy to cook rice perfectly. So, I brought the Chinese white rice recipe today to teach how to achieve perfection every time you cook rice. It will take some techniques to get the fluffy rice, so let’s get into more details.
Table of Contents
Chinese White Rice Recipe Vital Points At A Glance
This recipe is fast and simple. Still, the overview chart can help you with some essential information.
| Course: Side dish | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Easy | ||
| Total Time: 25 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 2 persons | 5 minutes | 20 minutes | 205 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
You can make steamed rice with just two things, rice and water. So, I won’t be making a long list here. But, I have some advice for choosing the rice. Take white rice with medium grains. This variety of rice becomes so fluffy when steamed.
And it combines with a lot of different main dishes perfectly. Short-grain or long-grain rice isn’t that good for making this recipe.
- Rice: 1 Cup
- Water: 1 ⅓ Cup
Tools and Utensils for the Recipe
As the recipe calls for just two ingredients, the list of utensils is also short. You just need the following tools and utensils.
- One medium pot with a lid
- One measuring cup
- One spoon
How To Cook Chinese White Rice: Step-By-Step Instructions
A crucial part of making white rice is washing the rice properly. I will tell you the washing process in detail.
Step 1: Measure the Rice
One cup of uncooked rice is good enough for two people. However, the amount can vary if you are a good eater or hungry for some reason. So, adjust the amount of rice accordingly. Take two cups of rice in the pot.
Step 2: Wash the Rice
Put water in the pot and start rubbing the rice with your hands. Use both hands to cleanse the rice grains. During the first wash, the water will become almost white.
Drain the milky water and add fresh water to the pot. Then, rub the rice grains again. This time, the water will be a bit clearer. Drain this water as well and wash the rice again. Washing the rice three times is important for this recipe. Once you see the water to be almost clear, drain that.
Step 3: Cook the Rice
Take fresh water in the pot. For one cup of rice, you need one and a quarter cups of water. This amount may vary slightly depending on the rice brand or the softness you prefer. Turn the heat to high and let the water boil.
Then, close the lid and turn the heat to low. Cook the rice for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn the heat off. Keep the pot on the stove for 5 more minutes. Perfectly steamed white rice is now ready to fill your appetite.
Chinese White Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- One cup of uncooked rice is good enough for two people. However, the amount can vary if you are a good eater or hungry for some reason. So, adjust the amount of rice accordingly. Take two cups of rice in the pot.
- Put water in the pot and start rubbing the rice with your hands. Use both hands to cleanse the rice grains. During the first wash, the water will become almost white.
- Drain the milky water and add fresh water to the pot. Then, rub the rice grains again. This time, the water will be a bit clearer. Drain this water as well and wash the rice again. Washing the rice three times is important for this recipe. Once you see the water to be almost clear, drain that.
- Take fresh water in the pot. For one cup of rice, you need one and a quarter cups of water. This amount may vary slightly depending on the rice brand or the softness you prefer. Turn the heat to high and let the water boil.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
Rice provides a lot of carbohydrates with a few of your essential nutrients. You will get a quick overview of the nutrients below.
- Total Carbohydrates: 45g
- Protein: 4.3g
- Total Fat: 0.4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 0.6g
- Total Sugar: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1.6mg
- Potassium: 55.3mg
- Calcium: 16mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
- Vitamin A: 12IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
Rice is the most popular source of carbohydrates, especially in China and other Asian countries. Though it is high in carbohydrates, only a small amount of this is dietary fiber. The protein content is low compared to the carbohydrates.
You get a few necessary minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, etc. As the nutritional value of rice is lower than other carbohydrate-based dishes, you should consume a small amount of rice.
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
Keeping some secret tricks in mind can help you make rice perfectly. Here you go.
Do’s
- Cook rice with the lid on. As the lid traps the steam, the rice is cooked faster and gets softer at the core.
- Letting cooked rice sit on top of the stove helps remove the excess moisture. It makes the rice look and taste better.
Don’ts
- Some people use salt while cooking rice. But I recommend you don’t put salt in the rice. As you will serve the rice with other dishes, the taste will be balanced.
- Don’t stir the rice while it is cooking. You might break the rice grains and it will look bad. If you stir too much, the rice may turn mushy.
What Can I Serve with Steamed White Rice?
You can serve a wide variety of dishes with white rice. Any type of curry goes extremely well with white rice. For example, slow-cooked pork belly tastes awesome with white rice. You can also serve beef curry, chicken curry, etc.
If you need recipes for serving with rice, you can check the Chinese Pork Shoulder Recipe, Chinese Coconut Shrimp Recipe, or Thai Basil Chicken Curry Recipe.
How Long Does Cooked Rice Stay Well?
At room temperature, cooked white rice may last for about 12 hours. If you keep it in the refrigerator, the rice will stay well for up to 5 days. In the fridge, cooked rice will remain well for much longer.
But I don’t recommend storing cooked rice in the fridge. When the frozen rice thaws, it might lose its texture. Even if you reheat the rice, it won’t taste or feel as good as freshly cooked rice.
Can I Use Leftover White Rice for Other Recipes?
Of course. In fact, leftover white rice is the main ingredient for many recipes, such as the Imitation Crab Chinese Recipe. You can use leftover rice for making any other type of fried rice. As freshly cooked rice has a higher moisture content, it doesn’t work well for fried rice.
But leftover rice, especially that was cooked the day before, works awesome. It has a much lower moisture content and the grains hold their shape better. So, you don’t have to throw leftover white rice out.
Why Is My White Rice Sticky?
Chinese white rice, especially glutinous rice, contains amylose and amylopectin. When the rice is cooked, the starch breaks down and thickens the water used to cook the rice.
This thick moisture coats the rice grains. So, the cooked rice is a bit sticky.
Conclusion
Simple as it may look, white rice isn’t actually easy to make. The secret lies in choosing the right grain size and washing the rice properly. Cooking the rice with the right amount of water and for the right duration is also important.
In this Chinese white rice recipe, I broke the whole process down into small steps. I also shared some useful tips so that you can make the perfect white rice no matter what. Enjoy hot and fluffy steamed rice with your favorite curry.
