Rice is a very popular cereal. Despite the fact that it is cultivated in Southeast Asia, it is popular and known throughout the world. Many housewives are wondering how to cook rice for a side dish. The correct answer is that the method of preparation depends on its variety. Consider this in more detail and offer some simple recipes.
Conventional Rice Varieties
There are over a thousand species of this cereal. Each of them is intended for cooking certain dishes. In addition, different types of rice have their own technologies for how to cook rice on a side dish.
The brown variety is very fragrant and takes longer to cook than polished varieties. You need to tinker with him. But the dishes from it are very tasty.
The most popular and traditional is long-grain rice. There are several varieties that are familiar to us.
One of the most common is fragrant jasmine. It is used in oriental dishes.
The second grade of long-grain rice is basmati. Due to its nutty flavor and friability, it is the best option when cooking pilaf. The secret of his success is that after processing he is aged for a year.
Mistresses actively use round grain rice.
One of the common varieties is camolino. This is an Egyptian groats. In the cooking process, you must first fry it. Thanks to this, rice will not stick together, it will acquire a unique aroma and delicate taste.
The Italian Arborio variety is used in soups and risottos. This cereal is able to perfectly absorb the tastes and aromas of all components of the dish. When cooking, rice acquires a creamy texture. The dishes are very tender and creamy.
The most starchy rice is sticky (sweet). In the process of cooking, the cereal is completely dissolved and becomes consistency, like dough. This semi-finished product is excellently rolled. Mochi crackers or pies are usually made from it.
Fancy Rice Varieties
One of the species is black rice. It comes in two varieties - Thai and Nanking. The first of them is used in the preparation of second courses and salads, and the second for desserts.
Red rice has a pronounced nutty flavor. It is used as a side dish.
Wild rice is a real find. It goes well with meat and fish. But the end result will depend on how to properly cook the rice on the side dish. According to the reviews of the hostesses, it takes a long time to cook. Only in this case, he will reveal his unique taste.
How to cook loose rice for a side dish
There are several cooking rules. Let us dwell on them in more detail.
The first rule. It is necessary to take long-grain varieties.
The second rule. It is not recommended to add a lot of water. Otherwise, you get a sticky and unappetizing side dish. If there is not enough liquid, you just need to add boiling water or leave rice under the lid after turning off the fire.
The third rule. Rice is poured only with boiling water.
The fourth rule. Pour boiling water for half an hour, then rinse. This procedure is recommended to be done several times.
The fifth rule. Fry rice before cooking.
Reviews recommend pouring water so that its level is 1 cm higher than rice, do not open the lid while the product is cooking, and leave the finished dish after cooking to brew. Do not forget to salt. Reviews also recommend steaming rice.
We offer an excellent recipe. Pour a little oil into the stewpan. Add chopped onion, carrot and sliced green beans (200 g). Fry vegetables for several minutes. Rinse a glass of long-grain rice, completely drain the water. Fry the cereal with the remaining vegetables for several minutes. Then pour one and a half to two glasses of boiling water. Cook under a tightly closed lid.
Pilaf with pumpkin
First, let's focus on how to cook long rice in a side dish:
1. Rinse the cereal with cold water five to seven times. The fluid should become clear.
2. Pour the cereal so that the water is 2 centimeters higher. Salt and tightly close the lid.
3. Turn on the hotplate to the maximum and cook the rice for five minutes. Then reduce the heat and leave for a quarter of an hour.
4. Turn off the burner and leave the rice for five minutes. Add oil, mix and close the lid again. Leave the rice on the stove.
5. Two hundred grams of pumpkin cut into a medium cube. Grind carrots and onions, fry for five to seven minutes. Now you can add the pumpkin. Cook it for fifteen minutes over low heat. Add rice. Pilaf with pumpkin is ready.
How to cook round-grain rice on a side dish with green onions
1. Scale groats (200 g) with boiling water and rinse with cold water. It is recommended to repeat this procedure several times.
2. Pour rice with 300 grams of water, bring to a boil and leave for twelve minutes. Be sure to close the lid very tightly. The fire needed is medium. After twelve minutes, look into the pan. If there is no liquid left, then the rice is completely ready. Salt it a little and add butter.
3. Fry chopped onion and carrots for several minutes. Chop green onions, put in a pan and add rice. Stir the dish thoroughly and serve immediately. The side dish is ready.
Pilaf with steamed rice, bell pepper, beans and green peas
This dish is recommended to be made from special cereals. It is specially treated with steam. It turns out friable and fragrant dish. To get started, let's focus on how to properly cook steamed rice on a side dish:
1. In a saucepan with a thick bottom, pour the cereal and pour water. Recommended ratio: one portion of rice and 1.25 water.
2. The pan is placed on a strong fire, but does not close with a lid. After boiling water, reduce heating.
3. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the cereal over low heat for twenty to twenty-five minutes. Next, add salt and butter.
4. While the cereal is cooked, fry the cubes of bell pepper, green peas, chopped onion, green beans and corn in a pan. Pour rice and mix thoroughly. Fragrant and crumbly side dish is ready.
Pilaf "Exotic"
This dish is recommended to be made from black rice, since such a side dish always turns out friable. Groats will be able to give pilaf an unusual taste and original appearance. So how to cook rice for a side dish? Easier than it sounds, but longer in time.
1. Soak a glass of black rice in cold water and leave overnight. This will save all the useful properties of the grains.
2. In the morning, pour three glasses of water in an enameled pan, bring to a boil, salt and pour the cereal. Cover and cook over low heat for forty minutes. Mixing is not worth it.
3. Black rice should increase in volume four times after cooking.
4. Fry chopped bacon, onion and garlic in a saucepan over low heat. After ten minutes, add
frozen green beans and corn. Fry a little, add cooked rice and butter. Serve with avocado slices, sprinkled with herbs.
Pilaf "Colorful"
This dish is recommended to be made from white and black cereals. How to cook rice on the side dish in this case? First you need to cook black rice, and half an hour before the completion of cooking, put white long-grain on the stove. Then mix everything with salt and butter. In such a pilaf, you can not add seasonings, vegetables and roots. Thanks to the combination of rice varieties, it turns out to be original in taste and very beautiful.