Rice is such a staple in our house. With a vegetarian husband, we heavily rely on grains at meal times and we’re continuously dreaming up ways to ‘pump it up’!

However, perfecting this humble grain with just the right amount of water hasn’t always faired well. For me the ratio of 1:2 rice and water works perfectly and I’ve found wrapping a tea towel around the pan lid a game changer. Turning the rice off just before the time is up and allowing a few minutes of steaming creates a much fluffier rice!

We’ve loved pulling this months newsletter together on perfecting this kitchen staple. Hopefully for those still looking to perfect rice, this will come in handy!

Laura X

When you’re searching your fridge or cupboard to create a meal without going to the shops, it’s easy to reach for things like pasta or simply toast and eggs (admittedly breakfast for dinner is a real and wonderful vibe). But sometimes, there’s nothing as comforting as a bowl of fluffy, sticky white rice. Maybe marbled with soy sauce and sesame oil; scattered with sesame seeds and some fiery chopped spring onions; then a big dollop of chilli oil. 

Maybe it’s a biryani – heavily spiced, fragrant with cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric; or a bowl of tomato-tinged jollof rice laden with herbs and spices and finished in stock. Is there anything more alluring than a crispy layer of buttery, sunshine yellow rice? Found when you flip a tahdig Samin Nosrat’s recipe is the best) – the Persian dish that uses yoghurt to almost tenderise the rice, so it’s extra fluffy on top and crispy on the bottom. 

One grain, so many options. A few nerdy details about rice: the indica variety include the long grained and aromatic rices like basmati and jasmine, and in general grow closer to the equator in places like Indonesia, many countries in Africa, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

The japonica variety is a shorter grain – think white and sushi rice – is cultivated mostly in Japan and Korea. Risotto or paella rices like carnaroli, arborio and bomba are also of japonica variety, although arborio and carnaroli grow in Italy, while bomba is grown in Spain.

When it comes to flavour profiles, long grain has a nuttier taste and will be slightly fluffier when you cook it; short grain has a creamier, stickier texture, because it has a higher starch content. 

Whole grain rice is basically white rice without the inedible outer layer (the hull), but keeps its bran and germ layer. Oh, and whole grain doesn’t just refer to brown rice – it can be black, red or gold.

Curveball: wild rice is native to North America and actually isn’t known as ‘true rice’, as it’s actually an aquatic grass with an edible grain. It’s got a similarly nutty texture as indica varieties, but has a little more bite. Wild, quite literally.

So there are some trivia-like details you never knew you needed to know about rice. You’re now primed for any rice-related dinner party conversation.

Rinse or soak?
Rinsing your rice helps get some of the starch out. If you’re cooking short grain rice, it can be better to soak it for a few hours and then rinse out the starch before cooking, because the high starch content can make it quite gummy when cooking (there’s a big difference between sticky and gelatinous rice). If you’re cooking wholegrain rice, soaking it will help as it usually takes a little longer to cook. 

Ratio 

When it comes to japonica varieties, the general rule of thumb is a 1 to 1.1 ratio. So if you’ve got 1 cup of white rice, cook it with 1.1 cups of water. With longer grain rice, it’s more like a 1 to 1.5 ratio – but as Laura can attest, sometimes a 1:2 ratio works, as well. Like with anything, it takes a bit of practice (and depends on the grain you’re cooking. Whole grains might need a little more water, and time).

Tools

Some swear by rice cookers, which take some of the guesswork out of cooking rice – you simply rinse, add the rice and water and flip the switch. The donabe – a traditional Japanese clay pot – is great but takes some getting used to. If you’re boiling rice on the hob, keep the heat on medium. It’s so tempting to whack it up so the rice cooks faster, but you’ll only burn the bottom, especially if it’s a shorter grain. Just keep the lid on and stir occasionally. We’ve also been getting into steaming basmati or jasmine rice using the steaming basket with the Always Pan – steaming retains that nutty texture. PS: would recommend only using metal pans for longer grain rice that won’t stick to the bottom. 

Rest

This applies more to the japonica variety – resting is essential. If you’re using a donabe or cast iron for your short grain rice, take it completely off the heat once it’s cooked and let it rest with the lid on for at least 10 minutes. The steam will gently loosen the sticky rice from the bottom of the pan so it becomes fluffy and sticky. 

Flavour Tricks

• Try cooking basmati or jasmine rice with a little splash of sesame oil and some chopped up green onions. The sesame oil really brings out the nuttiness. 

• Have a bag of black rice and no idea what to do with it? Soak it, rinse it then cook it in coconut milk with a little water for a super creamy texture. 

• If you’ve got some chicken stock left over, add it to your pan of white rice – the fat will give it a richer flavour.

It’s so tied up in my memories of growing up. A bowl of rice was the answer to everything. If I was sick, all I could manage was a bowl of sticky white rice. Celebrations would always involve queuing up at the rice cooker and filling up our plates using the wooden rice paddle which we’d dip into water in between uses to make sure the rice didn’t stick. It reminds me of being happy, sad, heartbroken, in love. Mostly, it reminds me of my mum –who I believe still eats rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Best way to cook rice?

I can honestly say I’ve never cooked short grain white rice in a normal pan. Now I use a donabe pot that’s become an absolute game changer. I used to swear by my rice cooker – which I still use when I’m feeling a little lazy or hungover – but there’s something so therapeutic in the slowness of cooking rice in a traditional Japanese clay pot. The trick is the 1:1.1 ratio. And leaving it to rest – no matter how impatient I get.

Important question: where do you buy your rice?

I’m very lucky in that my mum keeps me in stock of the good stuff, that she gets from a Korean superstore in New Malden. Walk into my kitchen and you’ll see the 9kg bag of rice. When stock gets depleted, my parents dutifully drive over with a new bag. It seems so wild to me to not have that much rice in the kitchen at all times. But if you’re looking for somewhere other than a grocery store, I’d recommend any Asian supermarket. My local is Oseyo (part of the H Mart brand), which is amazing for all things rice, and every chilli oil under the sun.

Where do you go when you’re craving rice?

Honestly, my rice cravings are satisfied at home! Or my parents’ house, where, of course, there is always rice on the go. But if not there, then I’ll head to my friend Mehlaqa’s – we’ve set a precedent for only cooking each other chicken and rice. It’s become a delicious tradition.

The Drunken Butler is a hidden gem in Clerkenwell serving up a dizzying mix of French and Persian dishes. Go for Persian Sundays and order the tahdig.

And if you find yourself in LA, head to Kismet for a bowl of jewelled crispy rice which takes cues from traditional tahdig recipes.

We’ll be supremely jealous if you can snap up tickets to Asma Khan’s renowned Biryani Supper Club, which returns this year.

If you haven’t already, try the classic Haianese chicken and rice from Cantonese eatery Three Uncles.

Looking for epic seafood and natural wine in the middle of Shoreditch? Goddard & Gibbs have taken over the former Ace Hotel/Hoi Polloi location with fresh fish and a seventies dining room vibe.

“I don’t think any day is worth living without thinking about what you’re going to eat next at all times.”

– Nora Ephron

Our Hoste supperclub series is on pause but, in the meantime, you can shop our hosting stationery range available now on Papier.

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