Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Learning to love brown rice

I love rice. I have eaten white rice several times a week for my entire life. Now I know that brown rice is better for you, but I've always hated its gummy consistency. Recently though, I started to experiment with various types of the brown stuff to try to find a palatable option. Here's the method I've found that makes a very nice, flavorful, slightly chewy rice that keeps well in the fridge and stands up to reheating. The rice I've found that I like the best is Thai jasmine rice, which I found at Trader Joe's. This is a long-grain brown rice. I first saute 1/2 an onion, finely diced, and an inch or so of peeled fresh ginger (also minced), in a pan with a little mild oil (high-heat safflower, for example). Get out your rice cooker. Rinse and drain the brown rice and add either chicken stock (preferred) or water. I use the 1 to 1 ratio of rice to liquid, plus another 1/2 unit of liquid. E.g.: 2 cups rinsed rice = 2 1/2 cups liquid. You might need a bit more liquid for brown rice than for white. Add the sauteed onion and ginger mixture to the rice and stock, stir well, and then cook as usual. Be sure to fluff up the rice once it's cooked, and then put the lid back down and let the rice steam for a few more minutes before serving.