By Nadia Marshall

I fancy myself a bit of a rice cooking expert. As someone following an Ayurvedic way of life, I eat A LOT of the stuff. I buy 20kg bags of basmati rice on a surprisingly regular basis.... and eat it at least a few times a week.  So lets just say I get a little practice!

But lately, I've faced a few ricey challenges that have made me realise why some people are nervous about cooking rice...

The first was during a visit to Adelaide, at my sister's place. I was staying a few days so volunteered to cook. I scraped together whatever ayurvedic-y things she had in the cupboard to make a daal and rice. But the only rice she had was sunrice long-grain. When she said it was difficult to cook, I scoffed.  But she was right! I prepared it with every rice-cooking skill I had in me... but it still ended up a little crunchy on top and a little gluggy on the bottom. Not bad, but not great!

The second was at my most recent Zen Retreat. I didn't have time before the retreat to do my usual shopping trip up to Southport in Qld to get my favourite ingredients. So I got the best looking basmati rice I could find at the local IGA. I figured... how bad could it be? The answer... bad.  I mean, it tasted okay... but it just didn't hold a flag to the rice I normally make.  Lets just say the left over bag of rice is now in the dog food cupboard!

The thing is, neither of these outcomes had to do with my preparation. I did the same thing I normally do. If anything, I gave the rice even more love, attention and care than usual.  So, what went wrong?  The key ingredient is what went wrong.  The rice! 

And I realised... most people out there in the world who think they don't like rice because the stuff they cook at home is gluggy and tasteless and awful might not know that cooking awesome rice is really easy, if you source the good gear.

So, my three steps to restaurant-quality rice... or better than restaurant quality rice are quite simple really.  But the first one is BY FAR  the most important.

STEP 1: BUY GOOD QUALITY RICE

Buy some excellent quality rice. Always get basmati as it is lighter and easier to digest than any other rice. And, if possible, get long-grain basmati that has been aged. It is even lighter and easier to digest and is just tastier than you could imagine. Our favourite brand is India Gate. We get 20kg bags for $74 from The Spice Trail in Southport.... which equates to just $3.70 a kilo!   If your supermarket doesn't sell good rice, find an Asian or Indian grocer that does!  

If you're after something more wholemeal, try Sri Lankan Red Rice from your local Indian grocer. It has the lowest GI of all rices but is still much lighter and easier to digest than brown rice and has the same cooking time as white basmati.

STEP 2: WASH YOUR RICE THOROUGHLY

It is really, really important to wash your rice thoroughly before cooking.  A whisk makes the job a little quicker but it isn't quite as pleasurable as washing it with your bare hands. Washing the starch out of the rice makes it light, fluffy and delicious... but it also makes it much easier to digest.

So, to be clear... put your rice in a good quality pot (it is better to use a larger pot than a smaller one as this will reduce the amount of pressure on the rice, making it lighter again).  Add cold water and wash your rice. When the water is full of starch, tip it out... then repeat.  At least four times.  Until the water runs almost clear. Do not be impatient. Do not skip this step. If you're concerned about wasting water, pour it into a bucket for the garden.

STEP 3: THE MAGIC MEASURE

The final step to restaurant quality rice is the amount of water you add to cook your rice (by absorption method).  Luckily there is a magical measuring stick that you carry around with you all the time... and it works a treat!

Place your pot on a smooth surface and make sure the rice is evenly distributed around the pot.  Now add cold water to your clean rice... to measure how much, use your index finger.  Gently rest it on top of the rice and keep adding water until it reaches your first knuckle join (on me, this is about 2.5cm). This should be the perfect amount of water but you will learn overtime if slightly more or a little less is required (depending on how long your finger is!). 

Now... pop your rice on the stove (with a lid) on a high heat until the water boils, then turn the heat down as low as it can go and cook for 10-15mins covered. Try to avoid taking the lid off until the rice is cooked...and let it rest for 3-5 minutes once you've turned the heat off.

Let me know how you go!!

Love

Nadia x