New Crop Rice

[ghostguru]

All rice are not created equal, some will take more water and others will not. If its a new crop rice, it got plenty of starch surrounding the rice. The jasmine rice swell the long way. If it is too gooey for you , rinse out the rice in water about 4 to 5 times till the water is clear. When I mean by rinsing, add water to the rice and swirl the rice in the water like you are playing with it, about 4 to 5 times, then let the rice settle and carefully pour out the water, the water should be cloudy. Do it about 3 more times, by then the excess starch should washed out, then cook the rice according to directions, it is usually 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Good luck!

[Leonard]

I recieved an electric rice cooker from an Asian friend for Christmas. She uses korean rice from an Asian store. I can't remember the name. I know it's not "new crop". Regardless, it's Asian. I cooked it according to the manufactures instructions and I too got a sticky glob of rice. Good but mushy and sticky at the same time. My friend told me this was the correct result for that brand of rice. She said often she eats it with her fingers. It is easier to pick up?? I liked the flavor but my husband couldn't get used to the texture. My suggestion is ask the people at the store.

[ghostguru]

Asians like their rice soft, if you like it separated like a pilaf. You have to saute the rice in butter, margarine or oil. I use this simple recipe as a side dish for a elegant meal, this will taste exactly like the pilaf they serve in the restaurant.
SIMPLE RICE PILAF
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cups long grain white rice, raw
4 cups chicken broth, hot, or use 4 cups hot water with chicken boullion in it
1/8 tsp. black peeper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 fresh sprig thyme
1 Tbsp. dried parsley or 3 fresh stems parsley, chopped
1 piece of aluminum foil to cover your baking dish or casserole or dutch oven.
Extra butter for margarine to rub on the foil
Procedure:
You have to be organized when you do this. Since the pilaf has to go to the oven.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Next, boil the water or chicken broth you are going to use for the pilaf, then rub or
coat the aluminum foil you are going to use for covering the casserole or baking dish. Now you can start cooking.
Heat the casserole or dutch oven on medium heat, add 1/4 cup margarine, saute the onions till they are soft but not brown. Add 2 cups of rice, saute it in the onion mixture, till the rice are nicely coated with margarine and whitish brown.
Next add your hot chicken broth or water boullion mixture. ( I use the water boullion mixture). Be careful when you pour the broth or water boullion mixture, pour it away from you, since the steam can scald you.
Turn off heat from the stove, Swirl the rice around and add parsley, thyme, pepper, bay leaf. If using fresh herbs, you can just lay it top of the rice.
Get your coated aluminum foil, with the coated side, let it touch the rice mixture gently and and seal the edge of the pot with the rest of foil. Put in the lower third rack of the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for exactly 15 minutes with out peeking at it. Take it out of the oven, remove the foil, and use a spoon to stir the rice around, and serve with your entree.
Optional: You can add drained canned mushrooms, blanched slivered almonds to this rice before baking. If you don't have a casserole for baking, you could transfer to an aluminum bakeware or baking dish, The baking time may differ a little bit.
It takes a little practice to cook this dish the first time. After you learn how to cook this, you never have to buy rice a roni, which is gummy.

[Beth]

I buy basmati rice in large bags, but I have never noticed whether or not it is "new crop". It does seem to cook a little faster.

I have a nylon mesh strainer that I pour my measured rice into and put under running water and swish it around until I no longer see white washing out in the water, dump it into my pot and add about 2 times the water that I had rice. That rinses away the excess starch, and I get great rice. Wild rice and brown rice tend to take a little more water and cooking time. If you want sticky rice for something, skip the rinsing, and if you want a pilaf, you can still cook it that way too (sauted before adding the liquid).

As for how much less water you might need, didn't the instructions in the bag give you any idea? If you were starting with a 2 to 1 ratio, I would probably decrease the water by 1/4 water per cup of rice, depending on how much too soft you thought it was. BTW, anytime my rice seems to have absorbed all the water but not be soft enough, I add a tablespoon or two of water and keep it on the warm burner to steam in.

[sushibones]

I buy basmati rice in 2# plastic bags, and the directions say to cook 1 cup rice in 1-1/2 cups liquid. I don't know if the large bags are less processed or dirtier or starchier, but since I cook regular rice at a ratio of 1:2, I know I was surprised for the directions to call for only 1-1/2 cups liquid. I never rinse my basmati, but I also usually saute it in butter or oil first.

[JHolcomb]

I bought a 10 lb bag of jasmine rice from the Chinese grocery (for $6 too, so cheap). My problem is that it is "new crop" rice, which according to the bag insert, uses less water to cook than the regular kind (old crop?). I cooked it according to the recipe in Jan/Feb CL because I figured, hey, I've got 10lbs of this stuff, I might as well experiment, and it came out as a glutenous glob, much as I suspected.

So, does anyone know how much water to use for new crop jasmine rice, or am I just going to have to conduct more experiments? Help! I'm not very experienced at cooking rice, but with all the wonderful recipes in this month's issue, I'm going to be making it all the time (husband already begging me to make the Sichwan chix again). Thanks.

[This message has been edited by JHolcomb (edited 01-14-2001).]

[AD]

As for the water, ALWAYS measure it according to the package directions. The proportion of water to rice in cooking varies with each brand and type, and CL's is probably a different rice.

The best rice, in my opinion is a brand called Texmati. It is sold all over here in Texas. I buy the basmati variety, but it comes in many other types including Jasmine (called Jasmati). I've never tried Jasmine rice. How does the taste compare to other rices? Is it like the sticky steamed rice in Chinese restaurants?

[JHolcomb]

Thanks all. I didn't mind the stickiness at all, in fact I liked, it-I did rinse it in the sieve, by the way.I just wanted to make sure that it was supposed to be that way. Jasmine rice tastes very nice. I like it better than Basmati.