It is well worth investing in a dedicated rice cooker. The first electric versions were manufactured by Toshiba in Japan during the 1950s and they are now standard in every kitchen throughout Asia. At its simplest, a rice cooker is a removable bowl that, when set into the machine, enable you to boil rice. It always includes a timing device or thermostat mechanism that switches the machine off (or puts it into warming mode) once the rice is ready to eat. This duplicates the cooking technique that was used throughout Asia in small metal pots. It has the advantage of allowing the cook to move-on to do other things without having to worry about burning or spoiling the rice. These days there are sophisticated rice cookers that allow you to choose the level of heat. If you have one of these machines, it can also be used as a slow cooker or steamer. You should try to buy one that has options. You will then be able to use the cooker for slow cooking, warming and steaming. These options are not necessary but they are useful.
Remember that a rice cooker can be used to soften almost any kind of grain. I use it for making porridge in the morning. It is so easy to clean and I have it conveniently set-up in the kitchen. It can be used for cooking pasta and potato or for softening corn. Poaching fruit is also easy and, of course, you can use it for steaming fish or any other food that you may need to soften. You can use the Risotto setting to cook with the lid off.
Cooking Rice
For those on a ‘George-friendly’ diet, rice should form a central part of what you eat. Preparing it is very easy. First you need to choose the rice variety that you enjoy. There are many different varieties and you will want to taste a few of them. I use long-grained white basmati rice as my basic white rice but you will be better off getting used to unmilled or partly milled rice. I find it difficult to change bad habits. Rice needs to be rinsed before cooking for best results. This is not necessary if you are in a hurry because most of the rice we buy has already been washed. The main reason for rinsing the rice is to remove the creamy dust-like grains of clinging starch that will, if you do not wash it off, eventually form a gluey substance after cooking. The rice we buy in the supermarket has usually been washed before packaging but, even so, it will have some of this starch substance clinging to it. To rinse the rice, just place it in the bowl with cold water and stir around using your hands. Pour the cloudy water out and rinse again. When you have got the rice clear, make sure you have the right proportion of rice to water in the bowl (usually 1:2). Most people add salt to the water. This is a matter of taste. If you are going to serve the rice with a highly spiced sauce it is unnecessary. Press the button for cooking the rice and move-on to other matters. When the bell rings to show that the cooking period has ended, fluff the rice with a wooden spoon. It is good to leave the rice for 10 minutes before eating. You can hold it in the warm bowl for a few hours. Many Asian families have a pot of rice available all day. With basmati rice you will expect the needle-like grains to swell to about three times their original length. 1 cup of uncooked rice is usually sufficient for two people. It will take about 30 minutes to cook.
Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice. It is better for your health and has mild nutty flavour. Most rice cookers do not have a setting for ‘brown’ rice. You will need to rinse brown rice. You must also add more water (about 1/4 cup more for each cup of rice). Brown rice will take longer to cook and you may need to pay attention to the process in case there is a problem (sometimes it boils over because there is too much water with the swelling rice). Ideally, unmilled or partly milled rice should be soaked for an hour before cooking but this is not necessary. It should also be allowed to stand a little longer after the cooking when the machine has switched to its warming mode.
Another good rice to cook is known as ‘wild rice’. It is milled with almost all the bran layers intact. It should be cooked in the same way as unmilled or partly milled rice. Better still, mix it with some white rice. It will add a delightful woody taste.
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