Want to cook rice but don't have a rice cooker? Do not worry! In fact, a slow cooker can also be used to produce a plate of delicious and fluffier rice, you know! The trick, you just need to measure the amount of rice you want, then cook it in a slow cooker on the lowest temperature. Within 2-3 hours, a pot of fluffier rice is ready to eat!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing Rice
Step 1. Measure the amount of rice to be cooked using a glass to measure the dry ingredients
Pour the rice until it fills the glass to facilitate the process of measuring the water later. In particular, 200 grams of cooked rice is a standard serving for one person. If the number of people is more than one, add about 100-200 grams of rice for each person who will eat it.
Remember, rice will expand when cooked. As a result, 200 grams of rice can grow to 400-500 grams of rice after it is cooked
Tip:
A slow cooker can be used to cook many types of rice, including white rice, brown rice, wild rice, basmati rice, or long-grain jasmine rice.
Step 2. Wash the rice properly to remove any excess starch adhering to the surface
Pour the measured rice into a fine sieve, then run it under running tap water while continuing to move it to make sure the water touches the entire surface of the rice. Keep doing this until the color of the running water is no longer cloudy, then gently shake the filter to drain the excess water.
- If you want, you can also soak the rice in a bowl of water, then drain the cloudy rice soaking water and replace it with new water until the color of the soaking water is clear again.
- If washed properly, the flour residue attached to the surface of the rice will be removed. As a result, the rice will not stick or clump when cooked.
Step 3. Grease the bottom of the pan with butter or oil
The trick, wet a piece of kitchen tissue with 1 tbsp. melted oil or butter, then spread the oil or butter all over the pan. Coating the pan with a little fat is effective in preventing the rice from sticking when cooked.
If the pan is equipped with a non-stick coating, there is no need to grease it
Step 4. Put the washed rice in the pot
After washing, immediately put the rice into a slow cooker, then smooth the surface of the rice with the help of a spoon or your fingers. Make sure the rice covers the entire bottom of the pot!
- While any type of pan can be used, a large, oblong slow cooker that can hold about 6 liters of water can produce a more even temperature.
- One of the advantages of cooking rice in a slow cooker is that it uses less utensils and has to be washed afterward!
Step 5. Bring the water to a boil before mixing with the rice (optional)
Some people who like to cook rice using a slow cooker usually use this method. If you are interested in trying it, just heat the water in a kettle, then pour it into a glass measuring cup to get the right dose.
- This method is done to speed up the rice cooking process and make the rice texture not too soft or mushy when cooked.
- Never pour boiling water on the surface of cookware made of plastic or similar material so that your cookware does not melt.
Step 6. Pour 500-700 ml of water for every 200 grams of rice
In general, you need to add at least 2x the amount of water you are using. After adding the water, quickly stir the rice until it is completely submerged, then cover the pot tightly.
- Brown rice generally needs to be cooked with more water to make it fluffier, while white rice can still be fluffier even when cooked with not too much water.
- If you want to use 700 ml of water for every 200 grams of rice, increase the cooking time by 30-45 minutes.
Part 2 of 2: Cooking Rice
Step 1. Cover the rice with parchment paper before cooking (optional)
Cut the parchment paper to fit the mouth of the pot, and don't forget to go 7-10 cm from the edge of the pan. Double check the condition of the paper to make sure there are no gaps for moisture to escape.
- While this step is optional, there's nothing wrong with doing it to trap the moisture in the rice and prevent the texture from ending up too dry.
- Do not use plastic wrap or similar materials. Plastic wrap and similar materials can melt when exposed to high temperatures for a long time. In addition, the material can also transfer toxins into the rice, you know!
Step 2. Turn on the pan on high heat
In fact, the classic assumption that rice should be cooked slowly at low temperatures is true. Since slow cookers are intended to warm food at low temperatures, even the highest temperature is still considered lower than the temperature of a regular rice cooker.
- Make sure the slow cooker is installed and set correctly. Also make sure that there are no objects close to the pot and risk causing the pan to accidentally turn off.
- If you wish, you can also set the pan to a lower temperature if you're staying the whole day. However, always keep in mind that this will increase the total cooking time by 3-4 hours.
Step 3. Cook the rice for 2.5-3 hours
While waiting for the rice to cook, you really don't have to do anything! In other words, you just need to put the rice in the pot, turn on the pot, and do other activities until the rice is cooked. Easy, right?
- If you still want to monitor the condition of the rice, please check it periodically. However, never open the lid of the pot for too long to prevent the hot steam from escaping.
- Don't forget to set a timer or alarm to know when the rice is cooked.
Tip:
The rice is cooked when the texture looks fluffier and the surface is no longer wet.
Step 4. Stir the rice before serving
Open the lid of the pot and stir the rice with a long-handled spoon to make it a fluffier texture. Shortly after cooking, the temperature of the rice should still be very hot. Therefore, let the rice sit for a few minutes until the temperature is safer to eat. Voila, delicious and fluffy rice is ready to be enjoyed!
Chances are, the layer of rice stuck to the bottom of the pot will be a little crunchy, especially since it's closest to the heat source. If you don't want to eat it, take the rice that moves and throw it in the trash immediately
Tips
- A slow cooker is also useful for those of you who need to cook more rice than usual. In particular, most medium-sized slow cookers can hold about 800 grams of rice, or about 1.5-2 kg of rice.
- To enrich the taste of rice, please add fresh herbs or other seasonings to taste into the pot before the rice is cooked.
