How to Cook Perfect Rice in a Pot: A Simple Guide for Home Cooking

Have you ever cooked rice at home? It's quite simple with a rice cooker, but not everyone has one.

So, this time, we'll introduce a method to cook delicious rice using a pot. It's easy to follow, so give it a try!

 

■Step 1 (Rinsing the Rice):

Start by preparing 250g of rice. To cook delicious rice, it's essential to remove bran and impurities from the surface of polished rice by rinsing.

Rice is like "dried vegetables," and when soaked in water, it absorbs it. Rice absorbs water when "being rinsed" and "soaked after rinsing." Especially at the beginning of rinsing, rice tends to absorb water easily. Therefore, it's recommended to use filtered water or mineral water instead of tap water.

After adding water for the first time, lightly stir it 2-3 times, then immediately discard the water. Next, with almost no water remaining, start rinsing the rice. Shake it around 20 times, stirring the bowl as if stirring a pot. Be gentle, stirring in the same direction without applying too much force. Avoid excessive force or fast stirring to prevent rice from cracking. After gentle rinsing, discard the cloudy water in the bowl. Then, similarly, quickly "add water and discard the rinsing water" about 3-4 times. After these water replacements, the rice should appear slightly translucent. Discard the rinsing water, and the rice rinsing process is complete.

 

■Step 2 (Preparing for Pot-cooked Rice):

To smoothly cook rice, ensuring the core is heated through when using a pot, it's necessary to let the rinsed rice absorb water thoroughly. After rinsing the rice, transfer it to the pot and pour 300mL of water (filtered water or mineral water is better). Let the rice soak in this state. The recommended soaking time is "30 minutes in summer and 1 hour in winter."

 

■Step 3 (Cooking the Rice):

Once the soaking is complete, it's time to heat the pot. Cook over medium heat with the lid closed for 10 minutes.

After a total of 10 minutes, be sure to slightly open the lid to check for any remaining moisture. If there is still moisture, keep the heat low and continue checking every 1-2 minutes until the moisture is gone.

 

■Step 4 (Serving the Rice):

After steaming, open the lid and gently mix the rice from the bottom with a spatula. Then, plate it, and you're done!

 

■Conclusion:

To cook delicious rice, there are specific steps to follow. By following these steps, you can enjoy restaurant-quality rice at home. Why not try making it on a leisurely weekend when you have some extra time?