The trick: To cook rice without having to hover near the stove, simply use your mini Crockpot. This way, there’s no risk of the pot boiling over, and it’s easy as pie. Just rinse some rice, throw it into the thing, add some water and let it simmer away.
You should of measured the rice before you begin.
You don’t need any fancy gear.
Preparing The Ingredients
Measure your rice prior to starting. Using a clear container allows you to visualy determine how much rice you have. For a single serving, start with one cup of rice, more if you’re cooking for multiple people.
Place the grains in the inner pot (the black pot). This little guy will fit comfortabley within the small slow cooker, and has enough room for a respectable meal.
The key to this recipe is rinsing the rice thoroughy. Put the pot in the sink and hold it under running water while you move the grains around with your fingers. You’ll see the water cloud up; that’s the starch being washed away from the rice. Dump out the cloudy water and repeat the process until the water in the pot are mostly clear.
Why do we do this? Because washing the rice ensure it won’t be gummy, which makes for an unpleasant final product.
Know your water to rice ratio: One part rice to one and a half parts water is the golden rule. If you have one cup of rice, use one and a half cups of water.
Precision will result in fluffy goodness; under-watering will produce hard grains while overwatering lead to mushy rice. Don’t take any chances, stick with the proportions.
If you measure with a regular measuring cup, this ratio will always hold up.
Cover the cooker with the glass lid. There is no need to turn it up high; set it at low and let it cook. The secret is that it needs to cook slowly, and in a low temperature.
About three and a half hours should be enough cooking time. Sounds like a long time? Yes, but the heat is gentle and will work its magic. Turn it on and you can go about doing other things. The cooker will take over.
Three and a half hours later the timer goes off. Pop open the lid. Is the rice done? It will appear steamy and tender; all of the water should have been absorbed.
Give it another minute or so. Fluff the rice with a spoon. Lift the grains gently off the bottom to separate them and let any trapped steam release. It shouldn’t be mushy, just soft.
Transfer the rice to the plate. It holds its shape nicely! You can get a filling amount of one cup (dry) of rice, cooked actualy as if you’d used an old-school rice cooker.
Because you don’t need to babysit with the mini Crockpot, there’s no fear of burning the rice. When it emerges, it is warm and fluffy, making your lunch easier.
It is simple, reliable, and can be done over and over. Effort and time saver as the slow cooker make it happen for you. No hovering around the stove, just consistent results.
What more can you ask for from a little kitchen hack? If you own a mini cooker, give it a go. It is worth waiting for.