How to Cook Rice in a Pot

 Preparation: 5 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes  2 ingredients  rice
May 8, 2021 Jump to Recipe Print

I’ve had several people ask me how to cook rice with a plain old-fashioned pot. It’s a great skill to have in a pinch and everyone should learn how to do it!  While I usually cook rice with my Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 rice cooker, these days I sometimes still use a regular pot when the need arises.  For example, I might be using my rice cooker to make something else, such as porridge or even chicken.  Or, I might just be preparing a smaller serving where using a pot is just easier and less of a fuss (and sometimes easier to clean). Another advantage of using a pot to cook rice is that I can add sausage, poultry, seafood, and vegetable when the rice is more than half-way cooked to make it more flavorful.

As you might imagine, rice pairs really well with stirfry, like Snow Peas and Chinese Sausage, Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms, or Bell Peppers and Bacon. If you’re short on time, you can also pair it with a quick Chinese cucumber salad.

Gluten Free, VEGAN

Tool: a small sauce pan (1.5 to 2 quarts)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Total Time:  30 minutes

Servings: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

  • 2 rice cups of rice1 (2 rice cups = 1.5 US cups)
  • water

Preparation:

  1. Add the rice to the pot. Rinse 3 times with water, swirling the rice around with one hand to remove extra starch.
  1. Add enough water to the rice. The water level should be at around the top joint of your index finger when you dip your index finger gently in the water so that the tip of your finger touches the top of the rice. Of course this will vary a bit by hand size, but you don’t need exact precision here. Cover the lid.
  1. Heat the pot with the rice under medium heat. Watch closely to prevent water from over-spilling. When the water starts bubbling, lower the heat to the lowest setting to allow the rice to remain at a low simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
  1. After 10 minutes of simmering the rice, most of the water should have been absorbed.2 Turn off the heat but let the pot remain on the stove top for another 10 minutes.3 When the 10 minutes are up, the rice is ready to be served. Enjoy either warm or cold.

Bon Appétit

Notes:

  1. I like to use medium grain white rice. My go-to brand is Kokuho Rose, which has a soft, sticky feel. I use it for porridge/congee as well. But feel free to use other types of rice based on your personal preference.
  1. If there is still visible water on the surface, continue simmering for 2 minutes at a time.
  1. If you like the thin brown crust on the bottom of the rice pot, simmer for additional 5 minutes. In the photo below, I did not want the crust.

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