Rice Without a Rice Cooker!

As someone who grew up for a period in Asia, rice has always remained a staple in my diet. Regardless of if I'm cutting or bulking, a nice helping of white rice always soothes my soul. However, I was so unaware of the masses who didn't know how to make rice on a stovetop. I've attached the procedures below.

First, measure out your ingredients. You should always have one part of rice and two parts of water. For seasonings, I like my rice with just butter and salt. Like all of my recipes, this rice is easily adaptable to any meal plan.

First, let's discuss the choice of rice. While there are many different types of rice that we could discuss, I use the enriched long grain rice. It's cheap, available in bulk, and takes on almost any flavor. While I'm aware this is not the most nutritious rice, it gets the job done. I should also denote here that when adapting this method of traditional Asian dishes or fried rice, omit the butter. For Indian turmeric rice, season with turmeric, cinnamon, green cardamom, garlic cumin, and chili flakes. For sweet rice, sprinkle over some sugar. Lastly, for buttery southern rice, add some diced sweet onions. (This is my personal favorite). Lastly, when choosing cooking liquid, swapping water for broths and/or flavorful liquid dilutions such as including wines and ciders adds depth of flavor.

To prepare, start with a pan over medium/high heat. Add your butter and oil to lubricate the pan. While the butter/oil is melting and incorporating, add the dry white rice. Next, "cook" the rice, without any liquid for about 10/15 minutes or until the rice looks "dry." If adding spices or onions, add them at about the 5-minute mark. Allow them to cook until fragrant but not burnt. Once the rice appears "dry," add liquid of your choice and salt. When the pan is at a rapid boil, which should be almost immediate, cover and allow to cook on medium to low heat for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir intermittently to ensure that the rice doesn't stick or burn.

That's it. It's simple, easy, and so delicious. Again, to amend to your desired tastes, add more seasonings or even allow the rice to create a slight brown crust at the bottom once finished cooking. No matter how you like it, this rice is always delicious for eating.