Perfect Rice
Photo: Amina Malik / Contributor
After nearly four decades of cooking rice, I made a surprising discovery last week completely by accident.
I was preparing a special lunch at Pondicheri's Bake Lab during a busy service and had to jostle with other cooks for stove space. The rice pilaf was almost done, but there was still a little water left in the pot, about two to three minutes shy of when I would normally take it off the stove.
To make room, I removed the pot early, set it aside and moved on to other tasks.
An hour later, I returned, gently ran a spoon through the rice. It was the most beautiful, flaky rice I had ever made. Every long grain was perfectly cooked and separate. Not a single kernel broke as I fluffed it. Even as a seasoned cook, I was amazed.
Since then, I’ve repeated the same method three times with identical results. Today, I’m sharing this simple technique with you.
The best part? Not only do you get a perfect pot of rice, but you also save time and energy. Over the years, I’ve shared many rice recipes with you. In the spirit of progress, I encourage you to apply this timing adjustment to all of them.