How to Cook Fluffy Rice on the Stove (Rinse, Measure, Don't Peek)
Rinse long-grain rice, use the right amount of liquid, then keep the lid on and rest it off the heat. Separate, fluffy grains with no gummy layer.
Gummy, wet or crunchy rice nearly always comes from one of three things: loose starch on the grains, the wrong amount of liquid, or steam escaping while it cooks. None of them need special equipment to fix.
Rice cooks in two phases. First it simmers and absorbs the liquid; then, once the pot looks dry, the trapped steam finishes the top layer. Lifting the lid or stirring during either phase lets that steam out and releases starch, which glues the grains together.
How to do it
Rinse long-grain rice
Swish it in a strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Skip this for risotto and rice pudding, where you want the starch.
Measure the liquid
Use about 1¾ cups of water for every cup of long-grain white rice, or 1½ cups for jasmine and basmati. In one-pot dishes, tomatoes and other wet ingredients count toward it.
Simmer covered, then leave it
Bring it to a boil, stir once, cover tightly and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Cook 15 to 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
Rest, then fluff
Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, not a spoon, which mashes the grains.
Common mistakes
- Stirring rice while it simmers, which releases starch and makes it gummy.
- Lifting the lid to check, which lets out the steam the top layer needs.
- Skipping the rest, which leaves the top firm and the bottom wet.
