In Vietnamese culinary culture, white rice is the soul of every meal. However, not everyone knows how to cook rice to make the rice grains bloom evenly, sticky, soft and delicious. Here are 3 simple but effective tips recommended by many international chefs and culinary experts:
1. Soak the rice for 15 - 30 minutes before cooking
According to Bon Appetit, soaking rice helps the rice grains absorb water evenly, when cooked, they will be soft from the inside out and less cracked. The ideal soaking time is 15 minutes for new rice, and up to 30 minutes for old or fragrant rice. After soaking, gently wrap the rice to remove excess starch, avoid making the rice rice rice rice sick.
2. Use hot water instead of cold water when cooking
Pour the hot water of about 60 - 70 degrees Celsius into the rice pan before turning it on to cook to help shorten the boiling time, retaining more natural flavors of the rice. In addition, hot water also helps the rice cook evenly and less sticks to the bottom of the pot. If you do not have hot water, you can use the "soak" mode in modern rice cookers.
3. Add a few drops of cooking oil or lemon juice
The oil helps the rice grains to be shiny and not sticky, while the lemon juice (1 - 2 drops) helps the rice grains to be whiter and less likely to evaporate when cooked. This is a tip often applied in Japanese and Korean restaurants when cooking sushi or white rice served with main dishes.
Note:
Choose the type of rice that suits your taste: Northern rice is often sticky, Southern or Thai rice is soft.
Do not open the pot lid too early when the rice is cooked - this will cause heat loss and affect the rice texture.
