"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 02:52:48p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>>
>> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>>>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>>>>> >
>>>>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
>>>>> > well... only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption
>>>>> > as packaged.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>>>>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where
>>>>> people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads.
>>>>> Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>>>>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>>>>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
>>>>> and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>>>>
>>>> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
>>>> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
>>>> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>>>>
>>>> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
>>>> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and
>>>> cook.
>>>> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
>>>> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
>>>> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>>>>
>>>> Sheldon
>>>
>>> Sheldon,
>>>
>>> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply
>>> to most other white rices?
>>>
>>> Thanks...
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright
>>
>> Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too mushy.
>> And it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's might.
>
> Thanks, Dee. Well, I don't ever buy Japanese rice. I actually find it
> too
> "delicate" for my taste.
>
>> I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice;
>> depending
>> on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without
>> soaking, and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
>> I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice on
>> the stove.
>> Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a reasonable
>> thing to do.
>> Dee
>
> I don't own a rice cooker, probably never will, not because I wouldn't
> want
> one, but I cook rice rarely enough that it doesn't warrant the cost or the
> storage space. I will definitely try some various ratios and try pre-
> soaking. I've tried plenty of methods using non-soaked rice.
>
> Unless I'm planning on using the rice in another dish, I really prefer
> rice
> the way one most often gets it in Chinese restaurants, on the dry side and
> rather "clumpy". I've never really been able to recreate that.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
> ____________________________________________
Wayne, I like rice this way, too. I'm pretty sure the restaurants use large
rice cookers to make their rice, not by pot on top of the stove. But I
think to get this dry, clumpy rice, you could get it only by cooking in a
rice cooker. Otherwise, you would really have to watch your stove burner to
make sure it didn't dry out and burn. Also, this dry, clumpy rice comes
about -- I think -- by it sitting around a while, not being served right
away. Let us all know if, when you get your dry, clumpy rice -- just try a
little less water, first. Also, I don't think restaurants use very much
oil/butter, which inclines soy sauce just to run off instead of soak up.

By the way, does anyone know why Canadians use mushroom soy sauce -- I'm
sure not all do, but every Chinese restaurant I've eaten in in Canada has
used the mushroom soy sauce.

Dee