Minute rice ruined me

[negolien]

Well craptastic.....

I usually use minute rice and jasmine minute rice. A couple months ago they sent me the regular bagged jasmine rice instead. I cooked some in my pressure cooker and i was like eww I musta messed up. I tried again came out same. I was like well guess I won't cook rice in that thing. I tried cooking it in a regular pot last night. Came out exactly the same so I guess it was cooked right but minute rice spoiled me. it was kinda bland and mushy. What exactly does minute rice do to their rice?

 

[DougE]

1 did you rinse the starch out of the rice before cooking? That seems to make a big difference in the texture of traditionally cooked rice. I've also discovered these ready rice packs you just squish up to separate the rice and nuke for 90 seconds and that's really been my go to for awhile. I can cook raw rice fine, but the ready rice packs are as good or better than doing it the hard way.

 

[sawhorseray]

I don't know, I can't cook rice for $hat, leave that to my wife. I like yellow rice, doesn't even need butter, nothing when she makes it, goes with anything. I make rice and it's lumpy and goes decent with gravy, never really good. Best to have a wife that likes rice, and likes making it! RAY

 

[indaswamp]

Minute Rice is parboiled rice. Personally I can't stand the stuff. Being a coonass, I'm partial to regular rice. You can't cook regular rice like parboiled rice and expect it to turn out the same. Parboiling makes the rice firmer.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

My wife has a Zujirushi rice cooker. It's so easy even I can't mess it up.

 

[negolien]

1 did you rinse the starch out of the rice before cooking? That seems to make a big difference in the texture of traditionally cooked rice. I've also discovered these ready rice packs you just squish up to separate the rice and nuke for 90 seconds and that's really been my go to for awhile. I can cook raw rice fine, but the ready rice packs are as good or better than doing it the hard way.

yup soaked it for half an hour. I did reheat it in the microwave but still I think I am just gonna stick with minute rice. Only reason I tried that was they sent it and i didn't wanna waste it lol

 

[sawhorseray]

Thanks for clarifying that Keith! Now I'll know if my wife's not around I'll just forget about rice and make pasta! Never mind, I do that anyway, I love my fresh pasta. RAY

My wife has a Zujirushi rice cooker. It's so easy even I can't mess it up.

My wife makes perfect rice in a pot on the stove every time, so did my mama. It's got to be something that women just make better, like cake and crow-shay doilies. RAY

 

[Kvgsqtii]

I cook rice all the time on the stove. I use a 10" deep straight sided skillet. I start by melting ~2T of lard. Once melted, I add 2c of white rice. Sometimes i use plain white, sometimes jasmine. I cook the rice in the lard on med- high heat till some gains start to get a bit of color. Then i add 4c of water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till the water is absorbed, 15-20min. Fluff with a fork and serve. Quick, easy, tasty, doesn't require a rice cooker and the lard keeps the grains from sticking and the water from foaming up and boiling over. I do not rinse the rice before I cook it. Can also change the amount as long as the ratio of 1c rice to 2c water.
Edit: spelling

 

[sawhorseray]

OK OK OK! So missing the "R" and really you mean "grains" right? I've got this copied now just to show my wife I can cook rice. Is Crisco the same thing as lard? RAY

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

My wife makes perfect rice in a pot on the stove every time, so did my mama. It's got to be something that women just make better, like cake and crow-shay doilies. RAY

My wife also makes it in a pot depending on her mood. I cook a lot myself but rice is something I would not bother with making if we didn't have this Japanese piece of magical cookery. It also sounds like a Nintendo game system wich is fun.

You simply wash the rice, add water to the line (depending on how many cups you cook) and press start. It was pretty expensive just to cook rice but we have had it for years and she eats way more rice than I do.

 

[Steve H]

Is Crisco the same thing as lard?

No. It isn't. Though I use it in place of lard. And in most cases it gives the same results. In making pies or biscuits you won't get the same flaky texture as well as when using lard. Lard has a higher smoking point too.

 

[Kvgsqtii]

OK OK OK! So missing the "R" and really you mean "grains" right? I've got this copied now just to show my wife I can cook rice. Is Crisco the same thing as lard? RAY

Yes, grains. I fixed the spelling.

Like Steve H said, Cisco is not lard, but you could use Crisco instead of lard here. I try and not use processed vegetable oils when cooking and love the flavor lard adds to most things. It will give the rice a subtle porky flavor, yum.

 

[mike243]

Those microwave bags are great if you dont need a lot of rice, have 1 I wanted to nuke last night but out of date by 6 months and mamaw said no

 

[Fueling Around]

Well craptastic.....
...
What exactly does minute rice do to their rice?

Minute Rice is parboiled rice. Personally I can't stand the stuff.
...

Minute rice is cooked and dehydrated which turns it into instant rice.
I don't believe it is parboiled.
I cannot stand it either.

 

[JC in GB]

IHMO, most Americans use far too much water cooking their rice. When I cook rice in my Instant-Pot, I rinse it well and add the same amount of rice and water. It usually turns out quite well without being gummy. I don't like gummy rice unless it is actually sticky rice. I like the flavor of Jasmine rice the best.

JC

 

[1MoreFord]

Minute rice is cooked and dehydrated which turns it into instant rice.
I don't believe it is parboiled.
I cannot stand it either.

In this case it is and then it's cooked and dehydrated. Not sure all instant rice is dehydrated though.

Parboiling is a pre-cook that "pushes" the nutrients from the whole brown rice bran further into the rice before the rice is milled into white rice. Thus it's better for ya than white rice. Better yet is whole brown rice.

IMO the best way to cook rice is to boil it like you do pasta. Taste it from time to time til you determine it's done and then strain it dry thru a colander. If ya want you can then steam it a bit to remove more of the starch. Best you'll ever have.

 

[noboundaries]

I stopped making rice in our rice cooker years ago. Now it's on the stovetop. Like JC said, package directions call for too much water. I use the same process whether I'm cooking short/medium/long grain rice, brown rice, wild rice, etc.

Start a kettle of water boiling. In a 4 qt saucepan I add about 1 1/2 Tbs butter on the stove. Melt it. Add 2 cups of rinsed, uncooked rice. Stir to coat. I don't measure the boiling water, but it is probably about 3 cups, maybe a little less. Then I add a tsp of salt and sugar each. Stir. Watch for simmer bubbles, reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer whites for 20-22 minutes; brown and wild for 45-50 minutes. Turn off heat. Fluff. Cover with a cracked opening for another 5-10 minutes.

An interesting flavor is to add a couple TBS of distilled vinegar before cooking the white rice.

For creamier, gluey rice, add more water and don't rinse. For rice pudding, use milk instead of water, and use more than 3 cups, don't rinse, then once cooked add 1/2 cup cream beaten with two egg yolks, simmer until thickened, then sweeten to taste, raisins optional.

Once you get it, it's easy.

Minute rice tastes like cardboard to me.

 

[JC in GB]

I stopped making rice in our rice cooker years ago. Now it's on the stovetop. Like JC said, package directions call for too much water. I use the same process whether I'm cooking short/medium/long grain rice, brown rice, wild rice, etc.

Start a kettle of water boiling. In a 4 qt saucepan I add about 1 1/2 Tbs butter on the stove. Melt it. Add 2 cups of rinsed, uncooked rice. Stir to coat. I don't measure the boiling water, but it is probably about 3 cups, maybe a little less. Then I add a tsp of salt and sugar each. Stir. Watch for simmer bubbles, reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer whites for 20-22 minutes; brown and wild for 45-50 minutes. Turn off heat. Fluff. Cover with a cracked opening for another 5-10 minutes.

An interesting flavor is to add a couple TBS of distilled vinegar before cooking the white rice.

For creamier, gluey rice, add more water and don't rinse. For rice pudding, use milk instead of water, and use more than 3 cups, don't rinse, then once cooked add 1/2 cup cream beaten with two egg yolks, simmer until thickened, then sweeten to taste, raisins optional.

Once you get it, it's easy.

Minute rice tastes like cardboard to me.

noboundaries that is some great advice. Thanks.

JC

 

[Hijack73]

I grew up on the regular stuff (Louisiana born and (in)bred) native here too lol) but I went to parboiled years ago because it's really f$%k up proof, and I absolutely do not mind the almost imperceptible flavor difference. Not all taste buds are the same - I honestly only notice a texture difference.

Minute rice is not something I would choose, because the taste and texture is not something I like. But I know rice can be challenging..... so I don't really judge those who struggle with it ;)

Now I prefer jasmine or basmati vs anything else - even under my gumbo.