In many Asian countries, rice is considered not only a side dish - this cereal lies at the basis of the national culture and is revered in the same way as bread in Russia. Porridge and pilaf are prepared from it, added to minced meat and soups, and also served with meat or fish.
To cook rice correctly, you must first decide on its variety. For the side dish, as well as for pilaf, choose the hardest or moderately sticky types of this cereal. It can be absolutely white "lazar", pinkish grain of "dev-zira", fragrant "chungara", as well as the legendary "basmati" - long-grain, thin and hard.
It is advisable to cook rice in a cauldron - only in this vessel it turns out as it should be - crumbly, light and fragrant. Many housewives use a simple recipe for cooking rice, where they take two or one and a half parts of cold water for part of the rice (well washed!), Bring the brew to a boil over a high heat, add salt, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and leave until the water evaporates.
In fact, rice can be cooked in different ways, because each national cuisine hides its own secrets of cooking this side dish.
In Japan, they do it like this:
- the grains are washed and washed until there is no powdery powder in the water at all, and they are transferred to a cauldron;
- pouring cold water over rice so that it reaches the middle of the index finger above it - Japanese women have long used this "measure";
- the cauldron is tight, so that the steam almost does not come out, close and put on a high heat until it boils;
- after 10 minutes, the heating is reduced to a minimum, and after another 20 minutes, they are turned off completely, but the lid is not removed for another quarter of an hour.
You cannot stir cooked rice, as well as salt it in the process. In Japan, rice is served fresh on the table, but always with something salty: soy sauce, fish, cucumbers or sauerkraut.
In France, rice for a side dish is boiled differently:
- an incomplete glass of rice is washed with running water;
- two liters of water are poured into a saucepan, a spoonful of salt is dissolved in them and placed on the stove;
- when the liquid boils, grains are poured into it and allowed to boil, without covering with a lid;
- cook rice over high heat for about 15 minutes (if this is not enough time, you can increase it to 20 minutes);
- the rice is thrown into a colander and poured over with cold water.
The second way of rice in French is slightly different from the previous one. To prepare a side dish, heat a little vegetable oil in a cauldron, put dry grains in it and, stirring, fry them until transparent. In the meantime, salted water is boiled in a separate saucepan, which will require twice as much, and fried rice is dipped into it. The saucepan is closed with a lid, the fire is greatly reduced and the cereal is boiled until the water evaporates.
In the East, rice garnish is called folding pilaf and there are a huge number of options for its preparation. The classic recipe has its own subtleties, but it is not difficult.
- Rice is washed and poured with warm (but not hot!) Water for 2-3 hours. Then the powdery water is drained and the grains are thoroughly washed again.
- For a kilo of rice, take 5-6 liters of water (or even more) and boil them with the addition of two tablespoons of salt.
- Cereals are dipped into boiling water and boiled, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes. In general, this time directly depends on how long the rice has been soaked. The longer it has been in the water, the less time it will take to cook it.
- Put the finished rice on a sieve and fill it with cold water.
- In the meantime, the cauldron is heated (but not heated), 3 tablespoons of butter are melted in it, or even melted butter, and rice is poured.
- Saffron is added to the grains and about 200-250 g of butter, the cauldron is closed with a heavy lid (sometimes even sealing it) and put on a small fire for 40-50 minutes or even more than an hour.
- Cooked rice is served on a large platter and garnished with herbs, vegetables and sauces.
Rice for a side dish is not beaten at all, and not boring, as many people think. And you can cook it not only on weekdays, but also on holidays, as is done in the east. Moreover, there are many recipes for this dish.
