Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
it.

I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
problem begins. Any advice?

Hi, hank,

I cook rice everyday but without tomato sauce. I think if you want
cook rice and tomato sauce together, it should pastey.
You can try to cook rice first, after the rice is ok, then put the
tomoto sauce together with rice. And there is a good way to cook rice,
that is , the rice and water , in proportion of 1:1, the rice will be
good.

atopsilver.com

On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 00:42:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>Hi, hank,
>
>I cook rice everyday but without tomato sauce. I think if you want
>cook rice and tomato sauce together, it should pastey.
>You can try to cook rice first, after the rice is ok, then put the
>tomoto sauce together with rice. And there is a good way to cook rice,
>that is , the rice and water , in proportion of 1:1, the rice will be
>good.
>
>atopsilver.com


Yep. Add the tomato sauce only when the rice is almost done. That
will be when most of the water is boiled off (and if you use one the
automatic rice cooker ready to pop the switch.) Stir the sauce in
while the rice is still aboil.

Hank wrote

> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always
comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce
in
> it.

Stir the rice as seldom as you can. Just what it needs to abide
sticking to the pan.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

In article
>,
Hank > wrote:

> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
> it.
>
> I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
> seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
> problem begins. Any advice?

My first thought is that tomato sauce is too thick. Try it with tomato
juice. You should be able to cook the raw rice in tomato juice without
trouble. Or use half water and half tomato juice.

This is one of the first recipes I learned 42 years ago as a young
bride. I'm reminded to make it again.

===============
Party Bake Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 pork chops, trimmed
- 4 slices thin onion
- 1/4 cup raw rice, not instant
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
- salt and pepper


METHOD:

Season chops well on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown on both
sides in lightly greased hot skillet. top each chop with a slice of
onion, 1 tablespoon rice, and cover with whole tomatoes. Add any
remaining tomatoes and juice to skillet. Season with salt. Cover
tightly; simmer over low heat or bake in foil-covered baking dish in 350
deg oven for 1-1/2 hours, or until tender.

SERVINGS: 4
SOURCE: Betty Crock's Cooking For Two (from 1966)

NOTE: I usually use canned diced tomatoes instead of whole ones.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; I Think I've Seen it All, 2/24/2008

wrote:

> I cook rice everyday but without tomato sauce. I think if you want
> cook rice and tomato sauce together, it should pastey.
> You can try to cook rice first, after the rice is ok, then put the
> tomoto sauce together with rice. And there is a good way to cook rice,
> that is , the rice and water , in proportion of 1:1, the rice will be
> good.

1:1 ????
I use one part rice to two parts water and a dash of salt.
Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down, put a lid on it and leave it for
15 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and put the lid back on until you are
ready to serve.

On Mar 7, 3:24*am, Hank > wrote:
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
> it.
>
> I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
> seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
> problem begins. Any advice?


When I make spanish rice I usually add chicken broth and tomato sauce
at the same time...
Saute the rice in a bit of oil, then add the broth and tomato sauce
bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer on very low for 20 minutes
or so. Off the heat and let it sit for a bit more. Try not to peak.
Fluff with fork. Add stuff to taste - jalepenos, chili, etc.
-Tracy

Hank > wrote in message
...
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice
> [..] it always comes out like clumpy and pastey.
> [..] Any advice?

Victor Martinez posted this back in 1998 on afm-c. It provides
the most regular results when you're shooting for non-gummy
arroz rojo.
"Put some tomatoes, onion and garlic in the blender,
season with salt or chicken bouillon, blend. Wash some white
rice and then sauté the rice until golden brown (I use
canola/corn oil). Add the blended stuff, about twice as much
liquid as you have rice. Turn the heat down and let simmer
until all the water consumes."

The Ranger

"Hank" > wrote in message
...
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
> it.
>
> I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
> seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
> problem begins. Any advice?

I never have clumpy or starchy rice. I also never soak my rice. For Spanish
rice, I don't exactly follow a recipe. If I am making it with ground beef,
I brown the beef first, then add the onion, pepper and whatever other
vegetables I am adding along with the rice and a splash or two of olive oil.
I cook until the vegetables begin to soften and the rice begins to brown.
Then I add the water, tomato sauce and other seasonings. Usually chili
powder and maybe some oregano. I use my big skillet to cook this in. Then
when it comes to a boil, I put on the lid, turn down the heat and cook for
20 minutes. Since I don't measure the liquid and just do it by looks, it
may need an additional 5 minutes if there is too much liquid and the rice
isn't soft enough. If so, I simply turn off the heat and leave the lid on.
This method never fails me unless I fail to put in enough liquid. I did do
that once.

Try canned crushed tomatoes instead of sauce. Tomato sauce is thick and sticky and I think it ruins the texture of the rice. When I make Spanish rice, I add a can of chopped or crushed tomatoes instead and it turns out great. Let me know, and I can post the recipe here-- it makes nice Spanish rice. (Then again, I hate that thick, too-tomatoey spanish rice made with tomatoe sauce. If you like that sort of thing you probably won't like my recipe.)

-Karen

Hank wrote:
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
> it.
>
> I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
> seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
> problem begins. Any advice?


1. Buy LONG GRAIN rice.

2. Start it cooking in boiling liquid, stir in and
DON'T STIR AGAIN while it's cooking. Stirring
makes it clump. When it is fully cooked, fluff
with a fork if you must.

gloria p

On Mar 7, 7:04*am, Puester > wrote:
> 1. Buy LONG GRAIN rice.

I was looking a the responces and was wondering if anyone was going to
say this.

Short grain rice is pretty much always going to come out mush, long
grain is a huge help in those cases where
you don't want mush.

Scott

On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:18:12 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

wrote:
>
>> I cook rice everyday but without tomato sauce. I think if you want
>> cook rice and tomato sauce together, it should pastey.
>> You can try to cook rice first, after the rice is ok, then put the
>> tomoto sauce together with rice. And there is a good way to cook rice,
>> that is , the rice and water , in proportion of 1:1, the rice will be
>> good.
>
>1:1 ????
>I use one part rice to two parts water and a dash of salt.
>Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down, put a lid on it and leave it for
>15 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and put the lid back on until you are
>ready to serve.
>

i use 1:1 all the time. it doesn't come out fluffy, more like the
rice in a chinese restaurant.

your pal,
blake

Interesting you (almost) all say 1.1.
I was told an easier way - (after washing it) is to put the rice in the pan
and fill with water to a little fingernails worth above the rice. (1/2")
Bring to boil - stir once - put the lid on and simmer until all the water is
gone.

However for any tomato based rice dish; I don't wash it as it needs to be
dry to fry, so I fry the rice until slightly golden then add the tomatoes,
an equal amount of water and the whatever you're going to put in it.

Slatts

Hank wrote:
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. I put 2 cups in water so
> it can soak to get the startch off but whatever I do, it always comes
> out like clumpy and pastey. I notice moreso when I put tomato sauce in
> it.
>
> I put the rice in the pan and pour water in it (obviously) and it
> seems fine, but right when I put the tomato sauce in, thats where the
> problem begins. Any advice?

You need to count the tomato sauce as part of the liquid... with 8
ounces of sauce omit roughly 8 ounces of water. If you add vegetables
those count as water too.... if say you add a diced onion, place the
diced onion into a two cup measure and add water to the line. Of
course with experience you'll not need to measure, just accomodate...
pretend you're a vagina! hehe

SHELDON

On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:00:59 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>My first thought is that tomato sauce is too thick. Try it with tomato
>juice. You should be able to cook the raw rice in tomato juice without
>trouble. Or use half water and half tomato juice.


I missed the tomato SAUCE-tomato JUICE nuance. I had always used
tomato SOUP to make tomato flavored cooked rice. If you use an
automatic rice cooker just thin the soup more, 2 water to 1 soup. The
cooker OFF switch will trip when the rice is almost dry (it starts to
climb above the boiling point of water.) Cancel my earlier post about
adding in the tomato soup just before the rice is fully cooked.
Always use a teflon coated pot. That stuff sticks onto bare metal
like glue.

If you have trouble cooking rice buy a cheap automatic rice cooker,
<$30. Its such a labor saver. Add rice and water. Switch on and go
do something more interesting including goofing off. A soft click and
the rice is done. You will never burn rice. I love rice that had
been charred on a ceramic pot. As kids we would fight to grab that
first. Automatic rice cooker raised Asian kids will never know the
pleasures of rice patties with charred edges. Correction. You can
order this as "rice in a hot pot" from a Chinese restaurant. Do check
first if the pot used is metal or ceramic. Only the ceramic pot will
make the grade.

If you want a complete meal-in-one add chopped onions, peas, diced
carrots, ginger and garlic to the unboiled rice. Then cook. The
extra lean ground beef goes in when the rice is almost cooked. Use a
spatula to stir the ground beef in throughly with the rice. The wet
heat cooks the beef crumbs to a delicious texture, preferably slightly
rare, to retain the juices. If the rice is already cooked you can
cheat by adding water to recook and then add the ground beef.

Instead of tomato soup use meat extract such as OXO or Bovril.
They're delicious.

For those who need a quick easy to prepare nutritious meal another
ancient Chinese secret is to add some precooked oil* and soy sauce to
taste and crack a one or two raw eggs into the bowl. Then add piping
hot rice over this and stir the mix until the rice is throughly coated
with egg and sauce mix. Again it is delicious and the rice smooth.
You can enhance the serving with pepper, sprinkle some fried shallots
(available prepackaged at Chinese grocers) or any other stuff you
want, for example boiled peas and carrots, leafy veggies and shredded
meat. There's no recipie. Use your imagination, or like me, whatever
happens to be in the fridge.

Chinese always pour on top of a meal a little precooked oil to
"smooth" the food. Cook sliced ginger and shallots or onions in raw
oil until crisp. Keep the fired stuff as spices to sprinkle ontop
your food. They're delicious. The cooked oil is put in a bottle
dispenser to be added on top of your food as one would add a sauce.

I have food intolerances some of which are soy products, gluten,
legumes and a number of other things I lump together under plant
proteins. Uncooked oil causes mild inflammation in my mouth and
oesophagus. There is bloating and discomfort in the belly and in the
GI tract. My ancestors msut have noticed that and therefore cooked
their oil first (oxidize certain molecules?). I truly believe a lot
of vague chronic dietary and health problems have their origins in
mild food intolerance that we ignore because they are bearable
discomforts. My punishment was Chronjic fatigue Syndrome. However,
health issues are an entirely different subject altogether best
discussed elsewhere.

"Hank" > wrote in message
...
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce... Any
> advice?

USA Rice Fed's 138 recipes on Mexican & Spanish Rice:
http://www.usarice.com/recipe/recipe_search.cgi

If you get really interested you can find out about cooking the various
types of rice on the site also

"Gunner" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Hank" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato
>> sauce... Any advice?
>
> USA Rice Fed's 138 recipes on Mexican & Spanish Rice:
> http://www.usarice.com/recipe/recipe_search.cgi
>
> If you get really interested you can find out about cooking
> the various types of rice on the site also
>
Interesting stuff! I've got no quibbles about details of
*recipes* for cooking with rice and will just say once (tho'
I've said it before elsewhere, probably ad nauseam :-), plain
rice of any type is best and most easily cooked in a
Japanese-style automatic rice cooker. The only type of "rice"
where something else is appropriate, IMHO, is wild rice that
requires about an hour's cooking.



--
Jim Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

"James Silverton" > wrote in news:nCxAj.2144
$wM2.2061@trnddc07:

> plain
> rice of any type is best and most easily cooked in a
> Japanese-style automatic rice cooker.

Which is plain rice to you? To me in Canada it is a long grain
basmati...In japan it is a medium grain rice mostly. To some in the USA it
is Uncle Ben's converted (par boiled) rice. In Italy the short grains are
more commonly used.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

A man in line at the bank kept falling over...when he got to a teller he
asked for his balance.

On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 19:30:13 -0000, "Sla#s" >
wrote:

>
>Interesting you (almost) all say 1.1.
>I was told an easier way - (after washing it) is to put the rice in the pan
>and fill with water to a little fingernails worth above the rice. (1/2")
>Bring to boil - stir once - put the lid on and simmer until all the water is
>gone.
>

i've heard of the 'finger' measurement before - but it was water to
the height of the first joint of the index finger. can't say i've
used it though, because my measuring cup is the jealous type.

your pal,
blake
>However for any tomato based rice dish; I don't wash it as it needs to be
>dry to fry, so I fry the rice until slightly golden then add the tomatoes,
>an equal amount of water and the whatever you're going to put in it.
>
>Slatts

hahabogus wrote on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:12:43 GMT:

??>> plain
??>> rice of any type is best and most easily cooked in a
??>> Japanese-style automatic rice cooker.

h> Which is plain rice to you? To me in Canada it is a long
h> grain basmati...In japan it is a medium grain rice mostly.
h> To some in the USA it is Uncle Ben's converted (par boiled)
h> rice. In Italy the short grains are more commonly used.

Any unflavored rice that is to be served as an accompanying
starch is "plain rice" to me. I'm sorry that I am a heretical
non-connoisseur of rice and don't worry much about type:
arborio, short grain, long grain, basmati etc.:-)

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:12:43 GMT, hahabogus > wrote:

>"James Silverton" > wrote in news:nCxAj.2144
>$wM2.2061@trnddc07:
>
>> plain
>> rice of any type is best and most easily cooked in a
>> Japanese-style automatic rice cooker.
>
>Which is plain rice to you? To me in Canada it is a long grain
>basmati...In japan it is a medium grain rice mostly. To some in the USA it
>is Uncle Ben's converted (par boiled) rice. In Italy the short grains are
>more commonly used.

The real answer to his question is: All types can be cooked easily in
a rice cooker. Pick your poison and cook it.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:46:46 GMT, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> hahabogus wrote on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:12:43 GMT:
>
> ??>> plain
> ??>> rice of any type is best and most easily cooked in a
> ??>> Japanese-style automatic rice cooker.
>
> h> Which is plain rice to you? To me in Canada it is a long
> h> grain basmati...In japan it is a medium grain rice mostly.
> h> To some in the USA it is Uncle Ben's converted (par boiled)
> h> rice. In Italy the short grains are more commonly used.
>
> Any unflavored rice that is to be served as an accompanying
>starch is "plain rice" to me. I'm sorry that I am a heretical
>non-connoisseur of rice and don't worry much about type:
>arborio, short grain, long grain, basmati etc.:-)
>
All of the above is fine in the rice cooker. Can't say I've ever
cooked brown rice in there though. I cook that stuff on my stovetop.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

On Mar 7, 12:24*am, Hank > wrote:
> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce it
> always ends with the rice being like paste. [snip]

This post and the replies prompted me to make this version last
night. It was good.

1. Make achiote oil: simmer about 4 TB achiote seeds (aka annato
seeds) in a small saucepan with about 1/2 cup olive oil for a few
minutes. Strain into jar.

2. Put 2 TB achiote oil in saucepan over medium heat, add a bit of
chopped onion and a smaller bit of finely chopped bell pepper. Cook
until onion is translucent. Add 2 cups long grain rice (medium grain
would work, too) and stir in oil until rice grains are all coated and
begin to change color.

3. Add some canned diced tomatoes--I used about half the (14 oz.?)
can, some of the juice, and 2 cups light chicken broth or water (I
used water this time). Stir.

4. Bring to boil, reduce heat and let continue to simmer until steam
holes form in rice, at which time cover, reduce heat to lowest and let
cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat (do not uncover) and let
sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

We had it with sautéed chicken legs (with thyme and a splash of the
open sauvignon blanc) and garlicky fresh green beans. Delicious.

I expect to use the rest of the achiote oil to make a sofrito for
black beans. -aem

James Silverton wrote:

> h Any unflavored rice that is to be served as an accompanying
> starch is "plain rice" to me. I'm sorry that I am a heretical
> non-connoisseur of rice and don't worry much about type:
> arborio, short grain, long grain, basmati etc.:-)

I don't eat a lot of rice, but I do use different types of rice for
different dishes. As a starch dish with dinner I usually cook basmati.
I use arborio for rice pudding, and I would use it to try risotto if my
wife wasn't allergic to rice.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news:nCxAj.2144$wM2.2061@trnddc07...
> "Gunner" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Hank" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Ok so everytime I make rice or spanish rice with tomato sauce... Any
>>> advice?
>>
>> USA Rice Fed's 138 recipes on Mexican & Spanish Rice:
>> http://www.usarice.com/recipe/recipe_search.cgi
>>
>> If you get really interested you can find out about cooking the various
>> types of rice on the site also
>>
> Interesting stuff! I've got no quibbles about details of *recipes* for
> cooking with rice and will just say once (tho' I've said it before
> elsewhere, probably ad nauseam :-), plain rice of any type is best and
> most easily cooked in a Japanese-style automatic rice cooker. The only
> type of "rice" where something else is appropriate, IMHO, is wild rice
> that requires about an hour's cooking.
>
>
>
> --
> Jim Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland