Famous Butter Rice Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

FAQs

Does butter make rice better? ›

In the same way toasting nuts deepens their flavor, toasting rice in a little bit of oil or butter before cooking it in liquid adds a warm, toasty flavor to plain rice. The addition of butter or oil adds even more richness.

Basics of Cooking Rice

Combine 1 cup rice, liquid (see chart below), 1 teaspoon salt (optional), and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (optional) in a 2 to 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling; stir once or twice as it begins to boil. Lower heat to a simmer; cover with a tight-fitting lid.

So Here's How to Do It

saucepan. Swirl the pan to combine—do not stir. Bring rice-and-water mixture to a boil, and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, before reducing heat to low, aiming for a slight simmer. Cook the rice without uncovering the pot for 18 minutes.

Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add rice and bay leaf, and stir. When stock returns to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 18 minutes, until rice is tender.

Use Stock Instead of Water

“Instead of water, use either vegetable or chicken stock. Homemade is ideal, but plenty of premade boxed stocks exist for convenience. Add stock to the hot pan with vegetables and toasted rice.” He explains that toasting the rice first adds a layer of nutty flavor and creates more depth.

Drain the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Return the rice to the saucepan, cover, and steam off the heat for 10 minutes. Add the salt and butter to finish. Add the salt and butter or oil, if using, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Toasting your rice in butter brings real depth of flavour, so be sure to add the rice and stir it up to coat each grain in all of the melted butter flavour before adding the water. Then add your water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked.

Butter is an absolute flavor powerhouse and should be used to make rice taste more buttery and rich, which, in turn, makes other foods on the same dinner plate, taste that much better as well.

Hack 1: Coconut Oil Magic

Add water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add a teaspoon of coconut oil for every half-cup of rice you intend to cook. Stir the coconut oil into the water. Add the rice to the boiling water and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Bring the water to a boil and pour in the rice (no need to rinse). Give it a stir so that the rice is covered by the water, put a lid on the pan and cook for 20 minutes on the lowest heat on your smallest burner – if using gas. Go for a low-medium temperature for induction.

How to tell when rice is done? ›

Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain - this should also be indicated by the appearance of small holes on the surface and all the water having been absorbed. Keep cooking for another couple of mins if it isn't quite ready, then turn the heat off.

There are only two rules: firstly, measuring rice by volume makes it easier to judge how much water to add. Secondly, NEVER stir rice as it cooks or it will break up and turn sticky. In some recipes a knob or butter or spoonful of oil is often added at the start to help separate the grains before they cook.

Soak the rice: Soaking rice in water for a few hours before cooking can help break down the starches and make it easier to digest. Drain the water before cooking. Rinse the rice: Rinsing rice before cooking can help remove excess starches and make it easier to digest. Cook it well: Cooking rice until it's soft and full.

Bring the water to a boil and pour in the rice (no need to rinse). Give it a stir so that the rice is covered by the water, put a lid on the pan and cook for 20 minutes on the lowest heat on your smallest burner – if using gas. Go for a low-medium temperature for induction.