Rice is a staple food in Asian countries, some even having rice three times a day! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner have rice on their plates! Rice is a cheap way to have a quick full stomach. The most common way to cook rice is through using a rice cooker. But what if you don’t have any? Is it fine to cook in a microwave? If so, how to cook rice in microwave?
There are many ways to cook rice, but you need the right tools. A rice cooker is by far the easiest, but most western homes don’t have any of those. However, there is one appliance most homes have, and those are microwaves.
Surprisingly, you can cook rice in a microwave! Microwave is an uninvolved method to make rice, and at times, it requires lesser involvement than cooking in a rice cooker or on a stove. It’s a great alternative if you don’t have a rice cooker or not a fan of cooking on the stove.
Prepping The Rice
Rinse The Rice First
Always keep it in mind to rinse the rice first. Just like vegetables, rice will is most likely come in dusty or with some small pebbles in it. Although in the USA, it is rarely a problem, if you happen to be on vacation in Asian countries and want to cook rice there, however, it is a recurrence.
To rinse the rice, put the rice first in a bowl and pour water into it. Stir it using your hand, and drain the water away. Repeat the process around two to three times. When the water is clear from any dust, then it’s ready to be cooked.
Then place the rice in a bowl that is suitable for use in the microwave.
Rice To Water Ratios
After rinsing the rice, pour some water too it. However, you won’t put a lot nor too little. Otherwise, you can have two results, one either the rice is too wet, and two, the rice is too dry or even burned. You must get ratios right to have a bowl of great-tasting rice.
For me, the ratios would be for how many cups of rice, add 2 cups more for water. But here is a more general technique that is most effective. When pouring water into the rice, place your index finger on the uppermost surface of the rice. As soon as the water hits the very first knuckle of your index finger, then stop pouring water. The knuckle would be the very first ‘folding line’ in your index finger.
The ‘index finger’ method applies to different rice cooking techniques. Either they are in the microwave, rice cooker, or on the stove.
Time To Microwave Your Rice!
Place The Rice In the Microwave
Now, place your rice in the microwave uncovered. Next, set the timer for 10 minutes and power it up to the highest level. After ten minutes, the water level should be the same as the rice level now. If otherwise, pour a bit of water out until it is even.
If you notice any holes in the rice, don’t panic, that’s normal. Those holes are there since that’s where the steam comes out.
Then, cover the bowl, preferably use a dishtowel. But if you don’t have any, any cover will do as long as it is safe for use in the microwave. Now set the timer again for 15 minutes, but this time, at medium level.
Give The Rice A Rest
After cooking the rice in the microwave, allow it to settle within the microwave for 5 minutes. Allow your rice a rest so that it will absorb the steam and make it plump. But don’t worry, it won’t make the rice too moist.
Ready To Serve!
Carefully remove the rice from the microwave. Make sure to use some towel or oven gloves to avoid getting yourself burned. Next, stir the rice a bit to make sure it is fluffy and evenly cooked.
Not What You Expected?
Perhaps, you ran into some hiccups. Was it too wet? Or too dry? However, don’t worry, we are here to help you fix the problem.
Too Stiff?
A perfectly cooked rice would come off as fluffy, but if the rice is stiff, then it’s dry. All is not lost yet, you can still fix it!
Add a tablespoon of water to your rice and microwave for two-minute stretches until it completely cooks. Set the power level at medium. You can add more water if needed. In the future, change your water level as you see fit to avoid the mistake again.
Too Soft and Moist?
On the off chance that your rice is too soft, this implies that you’ve used a lot of water in cooking the rice. In this case, it is very hard to fix, and or perhaps, even impossible to restore. But we can still try.
First, allow your rice to settle a bit longer than 5 minutes. If this doesn’t help, then you need a better guide to help you. Check out our blog How You Can Fix Undercooked Rice or Overcooked Rice in the Microwave! It is a more detailed guide that will help you avoid wasting some rice away.
Summary
Rice is one of the easiest foods to cook. Plus, they fill your stomach pretty quickly in no time at all. If you don’t have a rice cooker, just remember, a microwave is very capable to fill in the blanks! Just make sure to follow the steps above and you will have some fluffy rice in just 30 minutes!
Rice is not the be-all in the plate though, rice needs a complimentary dish to give it a richer meal. If you want to have a fuller experience with rice, check out our blog Simple Recipes for Rice For You To Try. What are you waiting for? Go out there and enjoy some rice!
