Why am I so incompetent at cooking rice?

[Polar Bear]

I can follow the instructions on the packaging or from the millions of "recipes" for simple boiled basmati rice but it never ever ever turns out right.  Too soggy, undercooked or both.  How the f*ck do I manage it?

Rice, pan with transparent lid, water, heat source and instructions.  Never works.

Help.  🙁

[Hot Flatus]

Rice cooker.

Never fails.

[Jurek]

This.

[CAMRAMan]

Rinse the rice at least 3 times in a saucepan. Drain. Add cold water 1cm above the level of the rice. Put pan on cooker on lowest possible heat for c.30 minutes with lid on tight. Simples.

[Pickled Onion]

Use a cup of appropriate size to measure out 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. Add salt. Bring to boil. Stir once. Put lid on. Turn heat to minimum. When no water showing on top of rice, turn off heat. Leave alone for 10-15 minutes.

[Hot Flatus]

Put required number of cups of rice into rice cooker. Fill water to line with number that matches the cups of rice you put in. Close lid. Press button. Thats it. No need to tine it or watch it or check it.

Rice will beep when ready but is kept warm until you need it.

https://groceries.asda.com/product/cookers-grills-steamers/george-home-rice-cooker/1000364145646

[Wowbagger]

Take a small saucepan.

Add a container full of rice.

Using the same container, fill it with water and tip it into the saucepan (my preference is for a quarter-pint tankard passed down from my grandmother on my mother's side).

Repeat the last instruction.

Boil gently until the water has almost all gone.

Turn off heat. Stand for 10 minutes

Serve.

No need for any extraneous parafernalia

[Sergeant Pluck]

Wash rice until water is clear. Drain. Level it out in the saucepan. Add water to about 1cm above rice. Stir it once. Put it on the hob. Wrap a tea towel around the lid of the pan, or even a suitably sized plate, to create a reasonably good seal. If using a plate, stick a weight on top e.g. a tin of toms or similar. Heat. When it starts boiling and steam starts to emerge, switch off the heat. Leave it alone for at least 10 mins.

[rafletcher]

Hmmm. Basmati. Measure quantity. Pour into ample boiling water. Boil for 6-8 minutes. Drain. Works every time.

[ian]

Draining rice? What kind of madness are we practising here?

Rice in pan, water to about first knuckle of finger number 1 (with the finger touching the bottom of the pan). Salt generously. Bring to boil with lid on, take the lid off, cook for the requisite amount of time (choose the minimum)*, put lid back and leave to stand for a few minutes. Better to underestimate, if it's starting to dry out, add a splash from the kettle.

*you can turn the heat off here, leave the lid on and let it all stand for about 10 minutes longer than the specified cooking time.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Salt generously

Pasta.

Pour into ample boiling water. Boil for 6-8 minutes. Drain. Works every time.

Pasta.

[Basil]

Walk to Chinese take away. (Next to the pub), order n portions of #32.
Pop into pub for a pint.
Leave pub. Collect rice.

[Polar Bear]

Thanks Basil.  For some stupid reason I've never considered this.  👍

As for the rest of you: you are just confirming my incompetence.  🙁

🤣🤣🤣

[Canardly]

Aldi. Microwave rice. Remove plastic film, MW for two mins et voila.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

For Basmati rice. 
Rinse well in cold water in a rice strainer
Boil some water in a kettle
Add 10ml olive oil to pan.
Add the rice to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the rice with the oil (stops it sticking too much).
Add the just boiled water to the rice.

Measurements are important - its 2.2 times the weight of water to the weight of rice - i.e 180g rice = 400ml water.

Cook on a low heat until the rice has absorbed the water.

Important that you use basmati rice and not some horror like quick cook or easy cook rice, which has been adulterated to (allegedly) make it easier to cook.

Arborio / risotto / paella rice are beautiful but that's a whole different ball game.

Rice cookers are great, especially when you are feeding 100s of cyclists in a short space of time (e.g. LEL)

[Polar Bear]

Aldi. Microwave rice. Remove plastic film, MW for two mins et voila.

We are a rice cooker and microwave free zone.

[Canardly]

Well Mike suggest getting a MW they are invaluable for lots of things and do not have to be expensive or particularly large. With Electrickery at 52p Kw/h its a no brainer really.

[Tim Hall]

Rice cookers are great, especially when you are feeding 100s of cyclists in a short space of time (e.g. LEL)

I've done large number cooking of rice (admittedly not 100s) in the past using big catering trays in an oven. Same technique, water plus rice, heat and time. Plus a close fitting lid.

[Jaded]

I get Mrs Jaded to do it whilst I do something else.

[Kim]

Draining rice? What kind of madness are we practising here?

Traditional BRITISH cooking, as my mum taught me.  It's clearly heretical, but it does appear to work.

[T42]

Aldi 20€ rice cooker plus MrsT.

[CAMRAMan]

Cook summat nice to go with basmati rice and invite me round to demonstrate my foolproof technique. Sorted.

[telstarbox]

The Green Roasting Tin book has a great method:

Microwave it in cold water for 13 mins with the lid ajar. Stir in salt, oil and/or herbs. Put the lid fully on and stand for another 10 mins.

[Clare]

In answer to your question, no idea.

What we do...

x grams basmati rice in a saucepan rinse a couple of times 2x grams water and a pinch of salt.
Put lid on
Bring to boil
Stir
Put lid back on
Remove from heat
Wait 25 minutes
Stir
Serve

[ian]

The only real mistake you can make with rice is boiling it for too long that it becomes mush.