# Cooking rice with the “pasta method”



## JustJoel (Dec 17, 2018)

“How to cook rice” is most likely a good subject for tabling, considering the number of discussions there have been here the past few months. Rice cooker vs Instant Pot vs stovetop, etcetera etcetera.

One method I don’t think I’ve seen discussed though, is the “pasta method.” If you’re not familiar, you fill a large pot with water, add a good amount of salt, bring it to a boil and toss in the rice. Cook it until the grains are al dented or a bit softer, drain, add butter and serve. Times will vary depending on the variety of rice, but you don’t have to worry about water:rice ratios.

Thing is, I can’t see this working for short grain rice, at least if you want the rice Japanese style sticky.

Anyone tried this method? And what do you think about the short grain rice dilemma?


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## buckytom (Dec 17, 2018)

Interesting use of the word table as a verb.

Tabling in America means to put something off until later.

Tabling in many other places means to bring to discussion.

I live in America, so I'll discuss this with you tomorrow or thereafter...


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## pepperhead212 (Dec 17, 2018)

I have seen this method suggested many times in books talking about Indian food, saying that this is the preferred method there.  I can't imagine that, as it is wasteful, when you consider water and fuel; however, maybe what they do is cook some rice in the water, remove it with a fine skimmer, then add dal to the water, and cook that in the same water.  This would actually save water and fuel.

I have only done this a couple of times, but usually just used the rice cooker.  I got rid of the rice cooker when I got the IP, but I liked the idea of putting it in the rice cooker, and forgetting about it, while doing the rest of the meal!  The pasta method didn't really result in a better rice.  And it's best for rices such as basmati and parboiled - ones that don't stick, like jasmine (my favorite!), or the Japanese, as you mentioned.


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## Andy M. (Dec 18, 2018)

Saw an interesting segment on Cook's Country/ATK recently where the talked about cooking rice. There was a discussion that doubling recipes is an issue - 1 cup of rice and 1.5 cups of water does not translate to 3 cups of rice and 4.5 cups of water.

The upshot of it all is that the simplest way to go is the finger joint method. Put the measure of rice into a pot and add water above the level of the rice to the depth of one finger joint. This works for all quantities of rice and all sizes of pans.


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## pepperhead212 (Dec 18, 2018)

I always use that finger joint method, too, but I use my small finger - my hands are larger than most people's hands!  Close to an inch, I think.


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## CakePoet (Dec 18, 2018)

I am the odd one, I read on the back of my rice package and follow directions , because all rice do not cook the same. 

Have any one tried this method?


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## Cooking Goddess (Dec 18, 2018)

*CakePoet*, that's how I do it! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I've never really had problems cooking rice per package directions.

*JJ*, I mentioned that "Sara Moulton method" for cooking rice in one of those previous threads. Someone before her might have come up with that method, but she's the TV chef I first saw doing it. I've tried it; it worked. But the "follow the package directions" always works for me, too, so I don't bother with Sara's way. I suppose it's great, though, if one is rice-cooking challenged.


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## JustJoel (Dec 18, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *CakePoet*, that's how I do it! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I've never really had problems cooking rice per package directions.
> 
> *JJ*, I mentioned that "Sara Moulton method" for cooking rice in one of those previous threads. Someone before her might have come up with that method, but she's the TV chef I first saw doing it. I've tried it; it worked. But the "follow the package directions" always works for me, too, so I don't bother with Sara's way. I suppose it's great, though, if one is rice-cooking challenged.


The “follow the directions on the package” method is obviously great; IF you want to make the amount of rice listed on the package. 

I think I’ll try the pasta method on some long grain rice, next time I want some. But I’m quite sure that it won’t work on short grain rice, so I’ll just have to stick with the first knuckle method!

Should I know who Sara Moulton is, btw?


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## CraigC (Dec 18, 2018)

JustJoel said:


> The “follow the directions on the package” method is obviously great; IF you want to make the amount of rice listed on the package.



Leftover rice means a stir-fry is in the near future, unless there is leftovers from the meal that the rice was served with. Since most of the rice (plain) we cook is usually going to be topped with something, it never gets buttered.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 18, 2018)

JustJoel said:


> The “follow the directions on the package” method is obviously great; IF you want to make the amount of rice listed on the package.
> 
> I think I’ll try the pasta method on some long grain rice, next time I want some. But I’m quite sure that it won’t work on short grain rice, so I’ll just have to stick with the first knuckle method!
> 
> Should I know who Sara Moulton is, btw?



If you can do math, you can scale the package directions to the amount you want to make. I always use the package directions, too. I make plain white rice in the microwave; it comes out perfectly and stays hot till I need it. 

Sara Moulton is a pretty well-known chef and cooking show host. From Wikipedia:



> She was the on-air food editor for Good Morning America, a morning news-and-talk show broadcast on the ABC television network, from 1997 through 2012. She was the chef of the executive dining room at Gourmet for 20 years, a stint that ended only when the magazine ceased publication in 2009.
> 
> Between 1996 and 2005, she hosted Cooking Live (1997–2002), Cooking Live Primetime (1999) and Sara's Secrets (2002–2005) on the Food Network, becoming one of the original stars of that cable-and-satellite-television channel during its first decade. In all, Moulton's career in television and cooking spans nearly 40 years.
> 
> ...


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## tenspeed (Dec 18, 2018)

GotGarlic said:


> If you can do math, you can scale the package directions to the amount you want to make.


 According to ATK, it's not a simple ratio.  Pan size makes a difference as well.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/atk-video-on-cooking-rice-101073.html


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## GotGarlic (Dec 18, 2018)

tenspeed said:


> According to ATK, it's not a simple ratio.  Pan size makes a difference as well.
> 
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/atk-video-on-cooking-rice-101073.html


I saw that. It's always worked for me over the years, but I rarely make more than a cup (dry) at a time, so I just keep on keepin' on [emoji2]


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## JustJoel (Dec 18, 2018)

GotGarlic said:


> If you can do math, you can scale the package directions to the amount you want to make. I always use the package directions, too. I make plain white rice in the microwave; it comes out perfectly and stays hot till I need it.
> 
> Sara Moulton is a pretty well-known chef and cooking show host. From Wikipedia:


Thanks for the info on Sara Moulton! I guess I _should_ know who she is!


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## roadfix (Dec 18, 2018)

I don't think I've ever done short grained rice, stovetop.    They usually sit soaking in cool water in the rice cooker for a good amount of time before cooking.


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## Cooking Goddess (Dec 18, 2018)

JustJoel said:


> Thanks for the info on Sara Moulton! I guess I _should_ know who she is!


I'm glad GG posted that info for you, but all you needed to do was click on the link in my previous post. [emoji6] Sometimes I underline it, but blue letters in someone's post are usually a link. Mine was to her website.

OK, gotta run!


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## tenspeed (Dec 18, 2018)

roadfix said:


> I don't think I've ever done short grained rice, stovetop.    They usually sit soaking in cool water in the rice cooker for a good amount of time before cooking.


  I'm assuming that you are referring to Japanese short grain rice, so I had to get some more info, as I know it cooks differently from long grain white rice (but I've never made it).  If I remember correctly you have lived in Japan.  I came across this posting from a Westerner who learned how to cook Japanese rice.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Perfect-Japanese-rice-in-a-rice-cooker/


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## roadfix (Dec 18, 2018)

tenspeed said:


> I'm assuming that you are referring to Japanese short grain rice, so I had to get some more info, as I know it cooks differently from long grain white rice (but I've never made it).  If I remember correctly you have lived in Japan.  I came across this posting from a Westerner who learned how to cook Japanese rice.
> 
> https://www.instructables.com/id/Perfect-Japanese-rice-in-a-rice-cooker/



With short grain rice my rice cooker will go through the 'soak mode' and not turn on for about 30 minutes after you push the start switch.    That always used to irritate my wife....  as it took over an hour to cook a pot of rice.


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## Just Cooking (Dec 18, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *CakePoet*, that's how I do it! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I've never really had problems cooking rice per package directions.
> 
> *JJ*, I mentioned that "*Sara Moulton* method" for cooking rice in one of those previous threads. Someone before her might have come up with that method, but she's the TV chef I first saw doing it. I've tried it; it worked. But the "follow the package directions" always works for me, too, so I don't bother with Sara's way. I suppose it's great, though, if one is rice-cooking challenged.



Sara was, to me, hugely inspirational.. Loved every show she was a part of..  
Ross


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## Cooking Goddess (Dec 19, 2018)

I remember seeing an interview with her - perhaps on "At the Table with...". She had worked with Julia as a kitchen elf. One taping, props had forgotten to put something important on the shelves below Julia's work counter. Sara said she had to scurry out on her knees to put it in place before Julia had to get it.


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## Linda0818 (Dec 19, 2018)

CakePoet said:


> I am the odd one, I read on the back of my rice package and follow directions , because all rice do not cook the same.
> 
> Have any one tried this method?



I do the same thing. For me, cooking rice can be a little intimidating because to get it to come out perfect, which rarely happens for me, I've tried different methods of cooking, including a rice steamer. I've found I get the best results cooking it on the good old stovetop in pan.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Dec 19, 2018)

My Pilipina ex-wife introduced me to the rice cooker over 30 years ago and I have never looked back. My current rice cooker not only makes perfect rice every time with no pot watching; it also steams vegetables, dumplings etc.; slow cooks;, and makes perfect steel cut oatmeal while I shower!


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## buckytom (Dec 19, 2018)

I was given a Cuisinart rice cooker about 5 or 6 years ago. It has yet to come out of the box. We don't eat rice very often since my wife got food poisoning from some brown rice from a sushi place.

I miss a good yellow Spanish rice that is well seasoned with bay leaves, an has peas and bits of red bell pepper in it.


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## CakePoet (Dec 19, 2018)

I have three different types rice at home,  one need to be cook  at simmer for 15 min , another  need to be at the lowest setting after it boiled and the third needs to  get bath and then leave for 30 min in cold water before you can cook and  it needs to go into hot water.


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## roadfix (Dec 19, 2018)

CakePoet said:


> I have three different types rice at home,  one need to be cook  at simmer for 15 min , another  need to be at the lowest setting after it boiled and the third needs to  get bath and then leave for 30 min in cold water before you can cook and  it needs to go into hot water.



Same here, we keep 3 different types also.   Our rice cooker has different settings for each type of rice and does its thing accordingly.   Brown rice and sticky, short grain rice take the longest to cook.


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## CraigC (Dec 20, 2018)

We have 5 or 6 kinds of rice on hand. Right now we are out of Forbidden rice.


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## buckytom (Dec 20, 2018)

CraigC said:


> Right now we are out of Forbidden rice.



I'm not allowed to have any of that.


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## Just Cooking (Dec 20, 2018)

buckytom said:


> I'm not allowed to have any of that.



Because its....Forbidden??? 

Ross


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## Addie (Dec 20, 2018)

CraigC said:


> We have 5 or 6 kinds of rice on hand. Right now we are out of*Forbidden rice*.


And so you should be! It is *Forbidden*. 

What is so different about this rice?


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