Making excellent rice might seem easy, but getting that light, tasty, and fragrant outcome needs more than just water and rice. Experienced chefs and hotels have become experts at cooking rice by using special techniques and ingredients that make this basic food even better. Let’s reveal these hidden tips so you can make delicious restaurant-style rice at home.
The Common Error: Just Using Water
When you cook rice with water, it is a simple way, but the rice can end up tasteless and not very flavorful. Hotels and restaurants make rice taste better, look better, and have a better texture by using different ingredients and cooking methods.
Tips for Making Delicious Rice
Here are the proven tips that hotels use to make their rice tasty and memorable:
Instead of using water, try using broth.
Using vegetable, chicken, or beef broth instead of water adds delicious flavors to the rice.
How to accomplish this:
Use the same quantity of broth as water indicated on the rice package.
Choose broth with less salt to reduce the amount of salt.
For more taste, think about using broth made at home.
Advantages:
Enhances the flavor of the rice.
Enhance the main dish by combining flavors that either go well together or create an interesting contrast.
Cook the rice by sautéing it first.
Cooking rice grains in a small amount of fat before adding liquid is called toasting.
How to accomplish this:
Warm butter, olive oil, or coconut oil in a saucepan on medium heat.
Put the rice in and stir for 2-3 minutes until it looks a bit see-through and smells nutty.
Next, add your liquid (water or broth) and cook as you normally would.
Advantages:
Improves the taste of the rice by making it nuttier.
It helps to keep the grains apart and stops them from sticking together.
Enhances the flavor in a subtle way.
3. Add fragrant ingredients.
By adding ingredients like onions, garlic, and herbs, you can enhance the taste of your rice.
How to accomplish this:
After cooking the rice, add chopped onions, minced garlic, or shallots and cook until they smell good.
You can also put in fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves before letting it simmer.
To add some spiciness, you can use whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, or cloves.
Advantages:
Adds rich flavors and scents to the rice.
Goes well with many types of food.
Enhances the dining experience, making it more pleasant and refined.
4. Add a little bit of vinegar.
A little bit of sour ingredients can enhance the taste of your rice.
How to accomplish this:
Put a little lemon or lime juice in the liquid you are cooking with.
Instead, add a teaspoon of vinegar before cooking.
Advantages:
Improves and evens out the tastes.
Assists in keeping the rice light and not sticking together.
Brings a light and pleasant flavor to the food.
Add coconut milk.
To give your rice a creamy and slightly sweet flavor, try using coconut milk.
How to accomplish this:
Substitute some of the cooking water with unsweetened coconut milk. For example, you can use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of coconut milk for every 2 cups of liquid.
Mix thoroughly and cook as you normally would.
Advantages:
Gives a smooth, creamy feel with a touch of sweetness.
Goes great with Asian and Caribbean food.
Improves the texture of the rice.
Season your food correctly.
Adding spices is important for tasty rice.
How to accomplish this:
Put some salt in the water when cooking rice; a general guideline is to use around 1 teaspoon of salt for each cup of uncooked rice.
You can also use pepper, cumin, turmeric, or other spices to achieve the taste you want.
Advantages:
Improves the taste of the rice and other ingredients.
Stops the rice from being flavorless.
You can adjust the flavor to go well with your main meals.
Allow the rice to sit.
Letting the rice sit after cooking makes it taste better and have a nicer texture.
How to accomplish this:
After the rice is done cooking, turn off the stove and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
After taking a break, use a fork to gently separate the rice grains.
Advantages:
Allows water to spread out evenly.
Leads to rice that is light and soft.
Stops food from becoming too soft or sticking together.
Easy Recipe for Making Rice Like They Do in Hotels
List of ingredients:
1 cup of long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine.
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
1 little onion, cut into very small pieces
2 pieces of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 leaf from the bay tree
Add salt and pepper according to your preference.
Fresh parsley to decorate (if desired)
Steps to follow:
Wash the rice with cold water until the water is clear. This helps get rid of extra starch and stops things from sticking.
Cook: In a pot, warm up the butter or oil on medium heat. Put the diced onion in the pan and cook until it becomes clear. Put the chopped garlic in and cook for one more minute.
Toast the rice: Put the washed rice in the pot and stir it constantly for around 2 minutes until it is slightly toasted.
Add broth and seasonings: Pour the broth into the pot, put in the bay leaf, and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and heat until boiling.
Simmer: When the water is boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook gently for 15-18 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
Rest: Take the rice off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf from the rice, stir it with a fork, add fresh parsley on top if you like, and serve while hot.
Enjoy your tasty rice, just like the one you get in a hotel!