Cooking School: How to Cook Rice Using the Absorption Method

Easy and quick

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For the longest time, rice scared me. It seemed so dang hard to get it right.

That is until I stopped caring if it’s a bit stodgy or a bit chewy or a bit overdone. Because rice is hard.

But this method makes it easier.

It’s called the absorption method, used all over the world to make fluffy white rice that goes with everything from curries to Kimchi.

It only takes around 10 minutes from start to finish.

Makes rice for 2 people

• 1/2 cup white rice

• 1 cup boiling water (i.e. double the volume of water to rice)

• 1 tsp olive, sunflower or vegetable oil

• Large pinch salt

The secret to fluffy individual grains of rice is to wash them in a sieve first. Give the rice a good mix under a running tap.

Place the rice in a saucepan with the water, oil and salt. Give it a single stir to move the rice from the bottom of the pan (where it can stick) and put a lid on.

Simmer the rice on medium heat until all the water has been absorbed. This should take around 10 minutes.

Leave the rice to rest off the heat for a couple of minutes.

Don’t over-stir the rice otherwise you’ll encourage it to release starch and end up with risotto-like sauciness. But it is worth turning the rice over a couple of times toward the end of cooking to stop it from sticking.

This is the best method for white rice. Go for basmati or long grain and you can’t go far wrong.