Best Steamed Rice Recipes

INSTANT POT STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well. Stir the rice, salt and 2 cups water together in a 6-quart Instant Pot® and follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 10 minutes (see Cook's Note). After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release and wait until the natural release cycle is complete, about 10 minutes. Be careful of any remaining steam and unlock and remove the lid.
• Using the tines of a fork, fluff the rice to separate the grains and serve.

PERFECT STEAMED RICE EVERY TIME

Steps:

• WASH THE RICE: Rinse under running water, rubbing the grains together between the palms of your hands; continue this rinsing until the water runs fairly clear. THIS WILL TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES; DON'T RUSH THIS MOST IMPORTANT STEP!
• Place rice in a covered sauce pan; add water to 1/2-inch above the rice; put on high heat. Stay in the area -- don't fall asleep -- PAY ATTENTION!
• As soon as it boils rapidly, reduce heat to medium/low and keep simmering for 10 minutes. DO NOT PEEK. DO NOT OPEN THE LID.
• Remove pot from burner but STILL DO NOT OPEN THE LID; let the rice rest undisturbed for five minutes.
• Fluff the rice with a pair of chopsticks before serving.

PERFECT STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice in several changes of cold water until water is clear, then drain well in a large fine-mesh sieve. Bring rice and water (3 3/4 cups) to a boil in a 4-quart wide heavy pot and boil, uncovered, without stirring, until steam holes appear in rice and grains on surface look dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to very low, then cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Gently fluff rice with a fork.

PERSIAN STEAMED WHITE RICE (CHELO)

Steps:

• To cook the rice
• 1. Fill a large nonstick saucepan (at least 6 quarts) with 12 cups water; add oil and salt. Cover and bring to a brisk boil over high heat.
• 2. Add the rice and continue cooking over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally.
• 3. After 3-5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to scoop some grains from the water. Break one grain in half to make sure it is "al dente" (see above). Turn off the heat and pour rice into the colander to drain; set aside.
• To steam and make tadig
• 1. Place the empty 6-quart saucepan back onto the stovetop over medium heat. Add 1/4-inch canola oil and 2 tablespoons water. Add turmeric and/or saffron powder. Stir together.
• 2. Add the drained rice and shape it into a pyramid. Cover the pot and cook for 5-7 minutes until rice begins to steam.
• 3. Uncover and place 2 paper towels (one on top of the other) over the rice. The ends will extend outside the pot. Replace the lid tightly.
• 4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and tilt the lid until ready to serve.
• 5. With a wide spatula, scoop the rice from the pot, making sure not to disturb the crust (tadig) that formed on the bottom of the pot. Serve the rice on a flat serving platter, mounding it into the shape of a pyramid. Turn the tadig out onto a flat serving platter by inverting the pot, as you would invert a cake pan, or cut it into pieces and serve around the rice.
• Optional garnish: Saffron Rice
• 1. To make saffron water, mix together 1 teaspoon crushed saffron threads and 1/4 cup hot water. Steep for a few minutes, until the water becomes yellow.
• 2. Mix saffron water with steamed white rice. Use this intensely yellow rice to make designs on the Chelo.
• To reheat this rice:
• Pour 1/2 cup water mixed with 1/4 cup canola oil onto the pyramid in a large pot. You can also freeze this rice, as long as you do not stir it until it is completely defrosted. You can even cook it, freeze it, and later steam it as it defrosts. I know I will have to spend time in "rice hell" for admitting to freezing Persian rice, but it is worth it to make my life easier!

BEST STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in white rice and salt. Return to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender and has absorbed all the water, 16 to 18 minutes (check only toward the end of cooking time). The rice will be studded with steam holes when ready.
• Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

SHRIMP WITH BANANA CURRY AND STEAMED COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, add peanut oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and saute quickly, just until they start to turn pink, but are not cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate.
• Add the garlic, ginger, green onion, lemongrass, apple, galangal, and bananas to the same pan and saute until soft with no color, about 4 minutes. Add cumin and curry powder and saute for 1 minute. Add the lemon, lime, and orange juice along with the tamarind paste, coconut milk, and cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Strain the sauce and return to the heat. Add the Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves.
• Place the shrimp in the sauce and cook until just heated through. Place some rice on each plate. Top the rice with 3 shrimp and surround with the sauce.
• Rinse the rice 2 or 3 times and drain well. Set up a bamboo steamer on the stove. Place the rice in a metal bowl and fill with boiling water until the water is 1/2 inch above the rice. Place the bowl in the steamer and steam until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the cooked rice from the steamer and cool slightly. To the slightly cooled rice, add the butter, orange zest, cumin, and coconut. Stir until well mixed and add the saffron. Before serving, stir in the cilantro.

SAFFRON STEAMED PLAIN BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• 1. Pick over the rice carefully to remove its many small solid particles of grit.
• 2. Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with lukewarm water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat five times until the rice is completely clean.
• 3. In a large nonstick pot, bring 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the rice to the pot and boil briskly for 6 to 10 minutes, gently stirring twice with a wooden spoon to loosen any grains that stick to the bottom. Once the rice rises to the top of the pot, it is done.
• 4. Drain the rice in a large, fine-mesh strainer and rinse with 3 cups lukewarm water.
• 5. In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup oil, 2 spatulas full of the rice, the yogurt, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and 1 tablespoon of saffron water. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the rice pot. This will form the golden crust, or tah dig.
• 6. One spatulaful at a time, gently mound the remaining rice onto the tah dig layer. Shape it into a pyramid to leave room for the rice's expansion.
• 7. Cover the pot and cook the rice for 10 minutes over medium heat.
• 8. Mix 1 cup cold water with 4 tablespoons oil and pour over rice. Sprinkle on the remaining saffron water. Place a clean dishtowel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot to absorb condensation, and cover with the lid to prevent steam from escaping. Reduce the heat to low and cook 50 minutes longer.
• 9. Remove the pot from the heat and cool it, still covered, on a damp surface for 5 minutes to loosen the crust.
• 10. There are two ways to serve the rice. The first is to hold the serving platter tightly over the uncovered pot and invert the two together, unmolding the entire mound onto the platter. The rice will emerge as a golden-crusted cake, to be garnished with edible flowers and herbs, then served in wedges. The second serving style is to spoon the rice into a pyramid on the serving platter, taking care not to disturb the bottom crust as you do so. After the pyramid is shaped, detach the crust with a wooden spatula and arrange it in pieces around the pyramid or serve it on a small side platter.
• NOTE: You can use any kind of pot to make this rice, but nonstick pots make unmolding the rice much easier.
• NOTE: If using American long-grain rice, wash the rice once only.
• NOTE: To reheat leftover rice, place it in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water and place over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Rice Cooker Method
• Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 1/4 hours
• 3 cups long-grain white basmati rice 4 cups cold water 1 tablespoon salt 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter, or ghee 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1. Pick over and wash the rice as per the master recipe above.
• 2. In the rice cooker, combine the rice, water, salt, and oil. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until the salt has dissolved. Start the rice cooker.
• 3. After 1 1/4 hours, pour saffron water over the rice. Unplug the rice cooker.
• 4. Keep the cooker covered and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
• 5. Remove the lid, hold the serving platter tightly over the pot and invert the two together, unmolding the entire mound onto the platter. The rice will emerge as a golden-crusted cake, to be garnished with edible flowers and herbs, then served in wedges. NUSH-E JAN!
• NOTE: If using American long-grain rice, wash the rice once only and use only 3 cups of water in Step 2.
• Variation:Saffron Steamed Brown Basmati RiceFor 3 cups of brown basmati rice, use 6 3/4 cups water in Step 2. The amounts of salt, oil, and saffron water remain the same.
• Najmieh Batmanglij shares her tips with Epicurious:
• •Batmanglij highly recommends using a rice cooker for this recipe - it's easier, and the nonstick, evenly heating surface ensures a good crust. She favors the National Deluxe brand - if you're using a different brand, check the instructions, as you may need to change the measurements and cooking times. •Though many Iranians now use vegetable oil, clarified butter (ghee) is Iran's traditional cooking fat. To make it, start with a third more unsalted butter than you will need for the recipe. Melt the butter over low heat, then increase the heat to medium low and simmer the butter, without stirring, until it stops crackling and the milk solids brown and drop to the bottom. Skim off any foam from the top, and strain the ghee through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Ghee will keep at room temperature, covered, for several months. •Batmanglij prefers Persian full-fat drained yogurt, which is thicker than the American variety. American nonfat yogurt can be substituted for a less rich flavor. •Batmanglij recommends buying saffron in thread form rather than powder, which is often adulterated with turmeric. Before they can be used in a recipe, the threads must be ground with a cube of sugar, using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, and then diluted in hot water. "The saffron water can then be stored and used as needed," says Batmanglij. "Never use the unground threads."

STEAMED WHITE RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice: Place rice in a large bowl. Fill bowl with cold water to cover rice. Massage the rice a bit, then carefully pour out most of the water, reserving the rice with your hand. Repeat this process 7-10 times. At first the water will be cloudy with starch, but gradually the water will become less cloudy. You'll know the rice is sufficiently rinsed when the water is translucent (not completely clear). Strain the rice in a colander and let it air-dry, 15 minutes. The rice will absorb some of the water and the grains will be about 20% larger than their original size; the rice will also look whiter and more opaque. After the resting period, the rice should be almost dry.
• Cook rice (with electric rice cooker): Put rice and water in the rice cooker. Close the lid and let rest, 5 minutes. Then switch the rice cooker to "Cook." (If your rice cooker has a "Quick Cook" setting, use it; the regular setting incorporates a soaking period that is not necessary here.) The cooking should take 15-20 minutes. After the "On" button clicks off, it's done cooking, but leave the rice to steam in the cooker for another 15 minutes before lifting the lid.
• Cook rice (with pot): If you don't have a rice cooker, put the rice and water in a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and place a heavy weight (such as a stone pestle) on top of the lid. Bring the water to a boil over high heat; then immediately reduce the heat to low. Let the rice cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest and continue steaming for 10 minutes before lifting the lid.
• Serve rice: Once the rice is ready, use a flat wooden spatula or plastic rice scoop to gently fold and fluff the rice up from the bottom of the pot, avoiding any grains that may have stuck to the bottom. (This should not be a problem if you're using a rice cooker, since most are nonstick.) Gently continue fluffing so that the rice from the bottom of the cooker or pot is well mixed with the upper layers. You are releasing some of the excess moisture and cooling off the rice as you do this. The rice should be slightly sticky and each grain should be intact, cooked all the way through with a consistent texture. Serve right away, or put the lid back on to keep warm for up to one day.
• How to store rice: While the rice is still warm, place 1½ cup portions into separate zip-top bags and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, microwave for 1 minute to have steaming hot rice again.

PUERTO RICAN STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Bring vegetable oil, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add rice, and cook until the water has just about cooked out; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir again, and serve. Rice may be a little sticky and may stick to bottom of pot.

STEAMED VEGAN RICE CAKES (BANH BO HAP)

Steps:

• Whisk rice flour, water, coconut milk, sugar, tapioca starch, yeast, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Cover with a lid. Let batter rest until air bubbles rise to the surface, about 2 hours. Stir well.
• Grease cake molds with oil. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Place cake molds on top and pour batter into each, leaving 1 3/4 inches of space at the top for rising. Bring water to a boil. Cover and steam until a toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean, about 10 minutes.

STEAMED WHITE RICE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, cover the rice with cold tap water. Swish the rice around until the water becomes cloudy, then slowly pour it out, using your hand to keep the rice from falling out of the pan. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
• Add 175ml water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and cover for 15-20 mins until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered and undisturbed, for 10 mins. Uncover the pan and gently fold the rice over itself to fluff it up a few times before serving.

BOK CHOY STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Separate bok choy leaves from stems. Slice stems into 1-inch pieces; chop leaves.
• Combine water, rice, and soy sauce in a pot; bring to a simmer and stir in bok choy stems. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and cook until rice is almost cooked through, about 18 minutes.
• Stir bok choy leaves, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil into rice mixture with a fork. Remove pot from heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let sit until rice is cooked through and bok choy leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Fluff with a fork and garnish with sesame seeds.

ALMOND ASPARAGUS SHRIMP ON STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Lay the prawns in the pan slowly without splashing them in the oil. Add the garlic, then saute until the aroma of the garlic permeates and the prawns turn pink. Turn the heat to medium and slowly add the chicken broth, sugar, salt, white pepper and mayonnaise. Mix and saute all the ingredients until the sugar is clearly melted and the sauce is evenly combined and starts to boil. Add the asparagus and sundried tomatoes at this time and saute for another 30 seconds (making sure the sundried tomato is evenly cooked). Then pour over a bed of cooked steamed rice. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top, and then serve.

CURRY BEEF STEW SERVED OVER STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt and pepper. coat beef in flour mixture.
• In a large saucepan or pot, brown the beef cubes and onions in butter.
• Add the beef stock, curry and bay leaves. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, carrots, and vinegar. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until all is tender and sauce has thicken to a thick stew consistency.
• Mix in soy sauce to taste. Serve over steamed rice.

STEAMED WHITE RICE

Steps:

• Put the rice in a 3 quart pot or saucepan with a tight fitting lid (don't put the lid on yet!) and pour in the water.
• Bring to a boil, and cook until the surface looks "cratery" (like the surface of hot lava or something).
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about ten minutes, till the water is gone.
• Let rice stand for a minute or two, then remove the lid, fluff the rice, and serve!

STEAMED GINGER RICE WITH SNOW PEAS

Steps:

• Wash rice in several of changes of water until the water runs clear.
• Place rice in a 3 quart saucepan that has a tight fitting lid.
• Add water and grated ginger.
• Bring to a boil, uncovered.
• Reduce heat slightly but continue to cook uncovered until surface water disappears and holes appear in the surface of the rice.
• Cover tightly, turn heat very low and cook 20 minutes.
• Add snow peas and cover.
• Cook 2 minutes longer then remove from heat and let stand 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
• Stir gently to combine rice with snow peas.

STEAMED ASIAN WHITE RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice in a fine-mesh sieve until water is almost clear. Drain well and transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover tightly with lid, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Gently fold rice from top to bottom with a rubber spatula before serving.

BASIC STEAMED LONG-GRAIN RICE

Steps:

• Place the rice in a bowl in the sink, and rinse and drain several times with water, until the water runs clear. If using basmati rice, soak for 30 minutes. Drain over a bowl, and measure out 1 1/2 to 2 cups water.
• Combine the water, rice and salt in a heavy 2- or 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Uncover the rice, and place a clean kitchen towel over the top of the pan (it should not be touching the rice). Replace the lid, and allow to sit for ten minutes undisturbed. Serve.

STEAMED JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water is clear, then drain in a sieve. Combine with water and salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

STEAMED RICE

Steps:

• To cook jasmine rice:
• Bring four cups water to a boil. Add rice, salt and oil and boil hard until you see big rounds of boiling rice, approximately three to four minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes. Check rice with a fork, taste. If it is a little al dente, leave covered on stove with the heat off for three to four more minutes. Serve in individual bowls