How to Cook Delicious Rice
Rice has been a staple in Vietnamese family meals since ancient times. While people may switch things up with noodles, pho, or bread from time to time, nothing beats rice as a regular choice for Vietnamese people—it’s easy to eat and healthy.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that cooking rice is simple; restaurant chefs have their own secrets to making delicious rice.
Regularly cooked rice may lack flavor and taste ordinary.
To cook delicious rice, start by choosing good-quality rice. Opt for freshly milled rice, as it will be more fragrant and sticky than older rice. Be sure to remove any rice with weevils, as cooking infested rice will result in an unpleasant odor and taste.
While rinsing the rice may seem like a straightforward task, it’s actually crucial to the outcome of your cooked rice. Some people worry about dust and rinse their rice multiple times, but this is a mistake. Over-rinsing can strip the rice of its outer nutrients. Instead, gently rinse the rice with a light hand—the first rinse will remove dust and debris, and a second light rinse will suffice.
The amount of water you use will depend on the type of rice you’re using. At this point, don’t start the cooker; instead, soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes. Soaking allows the rice grains to absorb water and results in more evenly cooked, tastier rice. Be careful not to soak it for too long, or the rice may break down.
After soaking, don’t rush to cook the rice just yet. Add the two ingredients mentioned earlier—white vinegar and cooking oil. The oil adds a glossy sheen to the rice, while the vinegar helps protect the rice’s vitamins and makes it softer, whiter, and more fragrant.
When adding oil, avoid using strongly flavored oils like corn or peanut oil. Now you can turn on the rice cooker.
After 20-30 minutes, the rice should be fully cooked. However, don’t be tempted to open the lid right away. Let the rice rest in the cooker for about 5 minutes on the “warm” setting. This simple step ensures that the cooked rice doesn’t stick together and has a nice chewy texture. That said, don’t leave the cooked rice in the cooker for too long, as it may dry out or over-steam, making the rice wet and soggy, according to Dân Việt.
Important Tips for Healthy Rice Consumption
Rice is a common staple in the daily diet of Vietnamese people. However, eating rice incorrectly can harm your health in ways many people don’t realize. Illustrative image.
Rice is a nutritious food that provides energy and offers several health benefits. Eating rice daily can help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and control blood pressure…
In an interview with Lao Động, TS. BS. Đỗ Thị Phương Hà, from the National Institute of Nutrition, revealed that Vietnamese people tend to eat a lot of rice without realizing that it contains a significant amount of sugar.
Consuming large amounts of rice can lead to prolonged high blood sugar levels, which is a primary cause of dangerous complications affecting one’s life and quality of life.
For diabetics, a high rice intake can lead to cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks, which are the leading causes of death for people with diabetes…
Therefore, an adult with moderate physical activity should consume, on average, two rice bowls’ worth of rice per meal.
In reality, many homemakers reuse leftover rice, especially for fried rice. However, old rice can easily introduce bacteria into your body.
As such, experts advise eating freshly cooked rice or rice that has been allowed to cool. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours, and discard them if they show any signs of spoilage.
According to Người đưa tin