You don't need a rice cooker to accompany your favorite dishes with a good plate of rice: you can get the same delicious result with a normal slow cooker, also called a slow cooker. Measure the rice, add the water and set the pot in the mode you prefer (Low or High). The rice will cook independently giving you the freedom to prepare the rest of the courses and within a few hours it will be ready to be served.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Making the Rice
Step 1. Measure the rice
Weigh it to correctly calculate the proportion with water. For a single serving, use 200g of rice. If there are other diners, count 100 to 200 g of rice more for each additional person.
Remember that the rice will increase significantly in volume as it cooks. A 200g serving of uncooked rice can reach 400g when cooked
Suggestion:
you can cook any variety of rice in the slow cooker, including brown, wild, or long grain rice, such as basmati and jasmine.
Step 2. Wash the rice to remove excess starch
Pour it into a fine mesh colander and rinse it with cold running water. Place the colander under the jet of water and move it slowly to rinse thoroughly until the last grain of rice. Keep washing the rice until the water runs clear. At that point, shake the colander a couple of times to remove excess water from the rice.
- Alternatively, you can pour the rice into a large bowl filled with water and swirl it with your hands to rinse it of excess starch. When the water gets cloudy, throw it away and start over. Continue like this until the water remains clear.
- This process is used to eliminate starchy residues from the surface of the rice grains, so that they are drier and grainy once cooked.
Step 3. Grease or butter the slow cooker
Dip a folded sheet of kitchen paper in a tablespoon of oil or softened butter and rub it into the pot. Lubricating the bottom and sides with a grease will help prevent the rice from sticking to the pan during cooking.
If the inside of the pot is made of non-stick material, there is no need to grease or grease the surface
Step 4. Pour the washed rice directly into the slow cooker
After rinsing the rice several times, transfer it to the pot. Spread it on the bottom using a spoon or your fingertips to make sure it is evenly spread across the cooking surface.
- Any type of slow cooker will be good for cooking rice, but the large oblong ones with a capacity of at least 6 liters ensure a more even distribution of heat.
- One of the main advantages offered by the slow cooker is that no other utensils or tools are needed, so the preparation and final cleaning operations will be very quick.
Step 5. Boil the water before pouring it over the rice (optional)
Some fans of this type of pot argue that it is best to preheat the water before cooking the rice. If you want to experiment with this option, heat some water on the stove or use an electric kettle. When hot, measure it in a graduated cup to make sure you are using the correct amount.
- The advantage of this method is that the rice will start cooking as soon as you add the boiling water, rather than gradually heating up. As a result, you will be less likely to get too soft or sticky rice.
- Do not pour boiling water into a kitchen utensil made of plastic or similar material as it may melt.
Step 6. Use about 500-700ml of water for every 200g of rice
As a general rule, you can use a ratio of 1: 3 between uncooked rice and water. Stir the rice after adding the water to distribute the grains evenly, then put the lid on the pot.
- Brown rice usually requires more water to cook than white rice.
- If you decide to use 600ml of water for every 200g of rice, you may need to cook it for an extra 30-45 minutes.
Part 2 of 2: Cook the Rice
Step 1. Cover the rice with parchment paper before you start cooking (optional)
Shape the parchment paper, giving it a shape suitable to completely cover the opening of the pot. Leave 8-10 cm of paper beyond the edges and check for holes or gaps that allow the steam to escape.
- Covering the rice with paper is not strictly necessary, however it is a good way to trap moisture inside the pot and prevent the grains from drying out too much.
- Do not use cling film as it could melt or release toxic substances into the rice if it is exposed to heat for a long time.
Step 2. Set the pot to "High" mode
The old saying that rice should be cooked slowly over low heat is true. However, as the slow cooker heats the food gradually, even when using it on the "High" setting, the heat will be considerably less than that generated by a normal rice cooker. The only difference between the High and Low mode is that the former takes less time to reach the maximum temperature which, however, will be the same for both cooking options.
- Make sure the pot is closed and positioned correctly. Remove objects that could accidentally pull the plug from the socket.
- If you plan to be away from home all day, you can use the "Low" cooking mode. However, keep in mind that it will take about 3-4 hours longer to finish cooking than in "High" mode.
Step 3. Cook the rice for 2.5 to 3 hours
In the meantime, you will be free to do what you want. Using the slow cooker is as simple as it sounds: fill it, turn it on and let the rice cook undisturbed.
- If it makes you feel calmer, you can check how the rice is cooking from time to time. However, try not to leave the pot uncovered for too long to avoid wasting all that precious steam.
- Don't forget to start the kitchen timer to know when the rice is cooked and ready to serve.
Suggestion:
you will know that the rice is cooked when the grains appear dry and plump.
Step 4. Stir the rice thoroughly before serving
Remove the lid from the pot and crumble the rice grains by mixing them with a large, long-handled spoon. The rice will be very hot, so let it cool for at least a couple of minutes after placing it on the plates.
The beans in contact with the bottom of the pan (under which the electric coil that generates the heat runs) could be slightly crunchy. If they look unappetizing, use only the softest rice and throw away the dried grains after they are removed from the bottom of the pot
Advice
- The slow cooker is larger than the classic rice cooker, so it allows you to prepare more rice. A standard-sized slow cooker can hold around 750g of uncooked rice, which will result in over 1.5kg of cooked rice.
- You can add some herbs or spices to the cooking water to give the rice more flavor.
