Rice has been a challenge for me. I've been on a quest to figure out the secret to perfectly cooked brown rice. I think I've finally found it - toast it first in a tiny bit of oil (hate to use oil, but that's one of the keys), then cook it in the Instant Pot.
Note - These directions are NOT for white rice. They work for the healthier rices - brown or red or black or wild.
Prep For All Methods - Wash and SOAK the Rice!
Soaking is a centuries-old method that helps to breakdown the antinutrients and hard-to-digest components of grains, and at the same time, helps to release highly beneficial nutrients. The result is a highly nutritious and easy-to-digest whole-grain food with wonderful robust flavor.
Whole grains contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid which binds with certain minerals (e.g. zinc, phosphorous, calcium and iron) and prevents them from being absorbed by the body. Phytic acid is also very hard on the digestive system. Most of the phytic acid is contained in the exterior bran and germ layers of the grain. Ironically, whole grains are much higher in minerals than polished or refined grains, but we won’t receive those benefits unless we neutralize the phytic acid.
Soaking, fermenting or sprouting your grains before cooking them will neutralize the phytic acid and release the enzyme inhibitors, thus making them much easier to digest and making the nutrients more assimilable. Phytic acid can be neutralized in as little as 7 hours when soaked in water with the addition of a small amount of an acidic medium such as vinegar or lemon juice. Soaking also helps to break down gluten, a hard-to-digest protein found in grains such as wheat, spelt, rye and barley.
Why is it so important to remove/reduce phytic acid (phytates)?
Phytic acid is an antinutrient found in grains and legumes which binds important minerals preventing your body from fully absorbing them.
Consumption of high levels of phytates:
• results in mineral deficiencies, leading to poor bone health and tooth decay
• blocks absorption of zinc, iron, phosphorous and magnesium
• causes body to leech calcium
• lowers metabolism
• contributes to anemia
HOW TO SOAK
1 cup of organic brown rice
1-2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 cups warm filtered water
1/8 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt
Wash wash wash the rice!! Five or 6 times. Seriously!
Is toasting first, the secret to perfect rice??? I believe it may be!
I read about this in one of Neal Barnard's books.
Toast / Saute the rice on the stovetop in a bit of OIL!
I usually go oil free, but rice is one place I'm willing to cheat. It only takes a little to coat the rice while toasting. The rice didn't turn out gummy and sticky. It was perfect!
Dr. Barnard doesn't use the oil. He toasts the rice in water, awuafaba, broth or plant milk.
Once the grains are coated and start to toast (you should smell a deep nutty aroma), you can take it a step further by adding in some aromatics — like chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, or spices.
Then cook as normal on the stove, in a rice cooker, instant pot or whatever.
Cooking Methods
Method 1 - Stovetop - Boiled Like Pasta
This is my favorite method!!! This was the first time my rice came out PERFECT!!!
I kept hearing that this was fast becoming a favorite way to cook rice for many long-time rice eaters. It's on the stove and still needs to be watched, especially as it gets close to being done, but the rice comes out pretty great - fluffy and nice. I like that you don't have to think about the rice to water ratio.
- Water
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup rice, thoroughly rinsed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil or butter - don't skip that
NOTE 1: I did not toast the rice, but I did soak it for 5 hours before cooking.NOTE 2: After cooking, save the excess water for using as a hair rinse!!!- Fill a large pot with water 3/4 full, and bring to a boil over high heat. Season the water with a few big pinches of salt. It should taste like sea water.
- Stir in the rice, drop the heat to medium, and cook uncovered until al dente, stirring occasionally.
- For white rice, start checking for doneness (tasting) at 7 minutes. For me, white rice is usually done around 8 minutes. *
- For brown rice, start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Do not overcook - it will turn gooey. *
- Drain the rice and return it back to the same pot set over the lowest heat possible. Stir in butter and a pinch of salt.
- Cover and let rest for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season to taste with additional salt.
Recipe Notes
* Cooking times will vary based on the type of rice you use, the quantity of rice, the type of pot, the size of your burner, etc. The big takeaway is to learn how to judge doneness based on taste. This is how I cook pasta as well.
Method 2 - Instant Pot Version - Right in the Main Pot
OMG! Recipes were all over the place on rice to liquid ratios and IP settings. I looked at many highly rated sites and no-one seems to agree. What works perfectly for one may not work perfectly for another. There are so many variables - the type of rice, the size of the Instant Pot, your elevation, and more. ^%$#@!
The method and recipe I settled on is mostly from:
Green Healthy Cooking. She experimented for weeks.
Wash and Soak the Rice
See above
Toast the Rice - Don't skip this step!!
Use a tablespoon of olive oil to grease the pot. Add rice. Use the SAUTE setting to toast the rice for a few minutes. This gives the rice a bit more flavor and the oil prevents the rice from sticking to the pot. I usually go oil free, but rice is one place I'm willing to cheat. It only takes a little to coat the rice while toasting. The rice didn't turn out gummy and sticky. It was perfect!
The Liquid
The liquid can be water, broth, or a combination. I have even seen some for sweet rice using plant milk. I almost always use water and make extra to freeze and use later.
Add salt. If using broth, adjust salt accordingly! The broth probably already has salt.
Optional Flavor Additions / Aromatics:
- chopped onion
- dried herbs
- spices
Stir gently to combine. Make sure that all of the rice is in the water and not stuck on the sides of the pot.
Cook in the IP then fluff and serve.
Ratio 1:1 - Even if doubled or tripled!
The perfect ratio in the Instant Pot for all types of rice is 1:1. A pressure cooker is sealed. Liquid doesn't escape. Doubling or tripling the recipe doesn't change the ratio. If it's too dry or too wet, that doesn’t mean next time it needs more or less water - that means, next time it needs a TIME adjustment.
- brown rice: 1 cups
- liquid: 1 cups
Cook on HIGH PRESSURE with a NATURAL RELEASE("Hands down, no doubt" on the release!).The Natural Release takes 11 to 18 min.
Times vary with types of rice -
Brown Basmati - 22 minutes
The California rice I most often buy is brown basmati!
Short Grain Brown - 24 minutes
Wild, Red and Black - 30 minutes
Wild Rice BLEND - 28-32 minutes
Time depends on whether you are a fan of bursting or not.
 |
| Her favorite, by the way, is wild rice! |
Method 3 - Rice Cooker Version
Put soaked rice in cooker. Put double the amount of liquid in - water, broth... Set to rice type and START.
This might be better if toasted in a tad of oil on the stove first, then cooking in rice cooker as normal.
Method 4 - Instant Pot Version - Pot in Pot
Place the metal trivet that came with the Instant Pot and 1 cup of water in the bottom of the large pot.
INSIDE BOWL - Any bowl that is oven safe will do - pyrex, corelle, stainless steel, even a ceramic mug if it’s oven safe. No lid needed
For one serving - Add 1/2 cup of rinsed white rice, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water
Closed the pot and seal the vent.
Manual or pressure cook on high, 22 minutes.
Hit Delay for however many hours you need to wait. Natural release for 10 minutes if you’re standing there waiting to eat. Viola - the perfect portion of perfect rice.
This might be better if toasted in a tad of oil on the stove first, then cooking as directed.
Method 5 - Oven Baked
- 1 cup rice - brown? Black? red? wild?
- 2 cups flavorful broth - "I like to use mushroom broth as it has the best flavour. It must be a good tasting broth as this is where a lot of the flavour will come from."
- ¾ teaspoons salt - if broth is extra salty, may want to reduce this
- 1 small onion chopped finely
- 5 cloves garlic , chopped finely, less if you prefer
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- Preheat oven to 380 F - see note
- Rinse the rice then place it in a baking dish - probably something like an 8 x 8 or a pie dish. No need to line or grease the pan.
- Add the onions and garlic, then the seasoning and herbs. Stir together to evenly distribute then level out.
- Spread the chopped mushrooms evenly over the top.
- Add the broth then cover tightly with tin foil or a tight fitting lid.
- Bake for 1 hour. This turned out perfect for me.
- Remove from the oven, remove the foil, check the rice is tender. If not give it a stir, cover and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Once rice is tender remove from the oven. If there is any visible liquid uncover and return to the oven for about 5 minutes and it will evaporate off.
- Serve immediately.
You can make this ahead – mix everything up in the baking dish, cover with foil and pop in the fridge, then you can cook it when you are ready, just be careful that you don’t slop the broth all over the place when you remove it from the fridge.
Adjusting temp and time for BROWN RICE -
Here are some other directions I found:
- 375 for 1 hour
- 400 for 1 hour
- 350 for 70 minutes
If you use another temp in order to cook the rice alongside another recipe, keep your eye on the rice and make sure it doesn’t dry out and burn on the bottom.
Flavor Variations:
- Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.
- After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh VEGAN Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced. Note: I've heard some people love Vegan Parm but I haven't tried it. I was such a cheese lover. Now that I finally have the cheese monkey off my back, it might be best for me to avoid imitations. I do sometimes use Nutritional Yeast, which besides adding an interesting flavor, also has a boost of B vitamins.
Leftover rice freezes beautifully!
How to store leftover rice so it won't dry out -
Put into Ziplock snack or sandwich bags, flatten and press out air before sealing. Store in the fridge or freezer.
