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There is an easy fool proof way to steam rice without the need for a steamer or specialist rice cooker. All you need is a pan with a lid and some water to get perfectly cooked steamed rice every time.
When you have mastered the art of cooking rice this way, you will not go back to any other method! It's an easy dish to make. Plus, while the rice is steaming in the pan you have plenty of time to prepare the rest of the meal.
Contents
No rice cooker needed
This recipe is a way to steam rice without a rice cooker. All you need is a small pan which has a lid and some boiling water. There is no need to buy a dedicated rice cooker however you can check out my Ninja Foodi steamed rice recipe if you don't want to use the gas hob.
Cooking steamed rice in a pan
The best pan size for this depends on how much rice you are cooking. For two people the recipe calls for 100g of rice so a 15cm diameter pan works well for this. Providing that the pan has a lid and can keep the steam in then you should be fine.
Lids with steam holes
Don't worry if your pan lid has a little steam hole. As the steaming is done off the gas, it's quite safe to pop a bit of kitchen roll in the hole on the lid. Anything to stop the steam escaping while it is cooking will mean the rice can cook properly in it's own steam.
Instructions
Let me show you how to steam rice in a pan using the following instructions.
Having rinsed the rice a few times over (ideally about 5 or 6), leave it to soak in a bowl for at least 15 minutes (ideally up to 30 minutes). See the recipe card for rinsing details.
Put the rice in a pan and then cover with boiling water. The water should cover the rice by about 1cm over the top of the rice. Add in a pinch of salt and then turn on the gas on a medium high heat to bring the rice to a boil.
Once boiling the aim is to boil off all the water. This will take around 5 minutes.
As the water boils of in the pan, the bubbles will get bigger and then stick towards the edge of the pan. Make sure not let it boil dry, so keep watch.
IMPORTANT - The rice will not necessarily take a full 5 minutes to boil off the water so do this until it looks like most of the water has gone and the bubbles have disappeared.
Once the water has gone, turn off the gas and put the lid on the pan. Leave covered for 15 minutes. This will cook the rice in it's own steam.
After the 15 minutes, the riced will have steamed in the pan and be fluffy and ready to serve.
Variations and flavours
There are some additional flavours that can be added along the steaming process to enhance and add subtle flavours to the rice.
Jasmine Rice - Instead of using standard Basmati rice, you can steam Jasmine rice in a pan and enjoy a different variety and taste. Just swap out the dried rice type before you start.
Pilau Rice - One of my favourites is to add a teaspoon of pilau rice flavouring to the pan at the same time as the salt. Use 1tsp per 100g of rice (so half a teaspoon per person) for a pilau rice dish.
Cumin - If you are making a curry dish, a half teaspoon of dried cumin is good to add a hint of flavour. Again add at the point of adding the salt.
Turmeric - To get a yellow coloured rice, add in some turmeric to the steamed rice recipe and see the colour change.
Coriander or Basil - Both these leafy ingredients can be added in the pan make your steamed rice more interesting. Try experimenting with different flavours to see how it changes the taste and texture.
Pairs nicely with...
Where there is pasta or potatoes, there can be rice! My oven baked salmon recipe works really well with a rice side.
Try swapping out the pasta in these dishes with pan steamed rice to get a new meal.
The Recipe
How To Steam Rice Without A Steamer
Equipment
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
- 100 g Rice (50g per person)
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 jug Water Only use what is necessary
Instructions
- Put the rice in a cereal bowl. Rinse the rice by filling the bowl up with clean water. Let the rice sink to the bottom and then stir. Pour away the cloudy water (taking care not to pour the rice away). Repeat this 5 or 6 times until the water is no longer cloudy. On the last attempt, keep the water in the bowl.
- Leave the rice in the bowl soaking for at least 15 minutes (ideally up to 30 minutes).
- Add the rice into a pan. Then from the kettle pour in some boiling water until it covers the rice by about 1 cm & turn on the heat. Add a pinch of salt at this point.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes. The water should boil off in around 5 minutes. Keep on the heat until all the water has gone or the time goes off.
- A soon as it's finished boiling off, turn off the heat and then put the lid on the pan. Leave covered for 15 minutes.
- Once the 15 minutes is up, the rice should be nice and fluffy and ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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