I am always amazed at all the Minute Rice I see at the store. I am thinking that people must not know how easy brown rice really is. It is one of those things that is kinda like beans--it seems hard until you actually try it. It is very easy.
White rice isn't good for you, Minute Rice is worse. Rice is so cheap, there is no good reason to compromise your nutrition and eat the white stuff. If you have white rice, it is great for food storage because it lasts so long. But feed your family the good stuff. Brown rice is relatively cheap and tastes great when it is cooked right and kids love it. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice because it has four times the fiber. It also has more nutrients.
Here is a good explanation of the differences between white and brown rice:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
I cook it a few times per week. We make a lot, and what doesn't get eaten for dinner is breakfast the next morning with some cinnamon, agave nectar and milk. You can use almond milk if you don't do dairy. My kids love it and it is just as easy as Fruit Loops.
Here is the super easy way:
2 cups water for every cup of rice, plug it in and turn it on. Perfect fluffy rice in about 40 minutes. No pots to watch, nothing getting burned (very good thing in my house!).
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SR-TMB10-Cooker-Warmer-Silver/dp/B000EIASGE/ref=pd_sim_k_1
Panasonic is a great brand to get. I've had my National (Panasonic used to be sold as National Brand) Rice Cooker for 8 years and it is still going strong. Aside from my blender, it gets the most use of any of my kitchen appliances.
Here are the stovetop instructions:
Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5-2.0 cups water to 1 cup rice, just depends on how fluffy vs. chewy you like it. I generally use closer to 2.0 cups.
Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes. It’s okay if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less.
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8 comments:
I'm just commenting to tell the teacher in front of all my classmates that *I* use brown rice. (angelic face)
Have you tried the oven? I did a batch a few days ago and came out very yummy and fluffy. No rice maker for now. Thanks for the tips.
we are BIG brown rice fans too! i never do the minute rice since our rice cooker is mega easy! we love the trader joes ones that is a type of thai rice with jasmine in it. our whole place smells yummy too!
keep the ideas comin'!
I did use the oven years ago when I made brown rice and chicken breasts with and onion soup mix. It was very good!
Then one of Jared's friends gave us this great rice cooker and we've never really looked back.
My brown rice SUCKS in the rice cooker! I'm thinking though after reading your instructions that I just need to let it sit for a while after I make it. I LOVE brown rice but I've never been successful making it. I'll try it again and let you know how it goes!
I bought a rice cooker with a brown rice setting and I feel like a fool for not buying one a decade ago. There is no secret to brown rice, just push the button and enjoy it - no need to be a martyr.
It cost me less than a night out but you have to make sure it has a brown rice setting and is a good model, most are really bad and will ruin your rice.
This is best way I have found to prepare brown rice! I use the stove top method and its so much better than the directions on the bag of rice. Thank you!
Ok, it's a year later, and Dave says he wants a rice cooker. I've never used one and don't even know what to look for.
Does it work basically like a crockpot where we can go run errands while it cooks or should we still be home while this thing does its thing?
How do I know which rice cooker is a good one? What's a normal price range?
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