Instant Rice in a Rice Cooker

Rice is a staple dish in our house and one that is super easy to make, especially with instant rice that you can get at the store. It’s a great pairing for all sorts of dishes and can be made ahead of time if you’re in a hurry.

While you don’t need a rice cooker, it makes a day-and-night difference if you use one. They’re not that expensive and can provide the best-cooked rice. If you’re also a fan of rice but are always worried about under or overcooking your rice, invest in a rice cooker to make your meals smoother.

If you want to learn how to make instant rice in a rice cooker, here is everything you need and the steps to do it, along with some tips and tricks at the end.

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Is Rinsing Rice Important?

Why does everyone tell you to wash your rice? Is it really important? Does it even make a difference?

It does! When it comes to food prep, washing anything that you’re cooking is ideal. You wash your fruits and vegetables all the time, so why would rice be different? Cleaning your rice helps clear away dirt, dust, debris, chemicals, and bugs. Your rice has been on quite a journey before reaching the market, so it builds up a lot of nastiness before getting to your home.

But that’s not the only reason, even though it’s a good one. You should also rinse your rice as it will remove some of the excess starch on the rice kernels’ surface, which will give the “cooked, finished product a fluffy texture with separate rice kernels”. If you leave the starch, you will receive a rather gummy, overly sticky rice, which isn’t ideal.

If you want the best outcome, you should rinse your rice a few times and wait for the milky water to turn clearer. You don’t need to wait until there is no color in the water, but it shouldn’t be as white as the first time you rinse the rice, either.

Additions

So you’re getting used to making some great rice in your rice cooker, but want to learn some more tricks? Adding different seasonings and herbs to your rice, such as thyme, sage, rosemary, cilantro, chili powder, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame seeds, is a great way to spruce up your rice.

If you want to have your rice soak up some flavor, you can opt for chicken or vegetable broth instead of water or add a mixture of both for a more savory flavor.

For toppings, you can add any protein or even diced vegetables like carrots, peppers, eggplant, and more. One of the best uses I get out of my rice is by having some fried rice.

Once your rice is cooked, you can store it in the fridge. The next day, I’ll take the chilled rice and put it in a saucepan with some veggies, eggs, and soy sauce for a designed meal. This is great for busy days and quick meals that can fill you up.

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