Basic Rice / Orez simplu

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pot, add the water, butter and rice (Note: do not add butter if using cooked rice for another recipe).

2. Over a medium-high flame, bring the water to a boil, stirring occasionally

3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest flame, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes for white rice. Brown rice will need about 40-50 minutes to cook.

 

Notes: You may need to experiment with the times and the amounts of water to see what works best for you (you’ll notice it’s not just the type of rice that matters, but sometimes the brand). Long grain rice requires about 2 cups of water to every cup of rice, while medium and short grain rice may require slightly less. You may find that brown rice takes a bit longer to cook and may require a bit more water than white rice. It may be helpful to bring the rice to a boil on a big burner, and then immediately slide it to a second, smaller burner to simmer. While simmering, remove the cover as little as possible (best if not at all), and when letting the rice stand, do not remove the cover at all; the steam continues to cook the rice.

 

Variations: Flavored Rice: To the above recipe, replace the water with the same amount of chicken broth or just add a bouillon cube. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter, salt, spices, vegetables, nuts and/or raisins at your discretion. Sticky Rice:  Wash and drain just ½ cup of white rice. Place it in a deep, heavy pot with 1 cup of cold water. Place it over a medium high flame and bring the water to a boil. Once the water has begun to boil, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest flame, cover the pot and continue to simmer the rice for another 10-20 minutes (until all the water has been absorbed by the rice). Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for another 10-15 minutes.