Jasmine rice! For a different mix you can substitute part of the
rice with orzo .. . which gives it a San Francisco flair. Agree, lightly
fry the rice in butter/margarine and then add water etc.



sf > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 08:38:32 -0700, The Ranger
> > wrote:
>
> > Recently, I switch brands on rice (Smart-and-Final to Uncle Ben's).
> > Whether they're processed side-by-side or not, I've found that Uncle
> > Ben's cooks up differently and -- so far -- often doesn't cook up.
> >
> > Fer example... I was making some Spanish Rice (recipe below) and had a
> > majority of the rice still dry-n-solid as when I first started.
> >
> > What other brands do people use?
> >
> > The Ranger
> > ---
> > Spanish Rice
> >
> > Ingredients:
> > 2 Cups White Rice -- uncooked
> > 3 Cups Water
> > 1 Cup Stewed Tomatoes
> > 1/2 tsp Cumin
> > 1/2 tsp Oregano
> > 1/4 tsp Cayenne
> >
> > Place all ingredients in covered saucepan over medium-high heat until
> > the mixture bubbles. Stir and reduce heat. Cook 10-12 minutes,
> > covered.
>
> Everything looks right.... except there is too much water
> for me and I'd adjust the cooking time. I'd use a 1:1 ratio
> (or water 1/2 to 1 inch above the rice in your pot). I use
> the finger method, wich means that I rest the tip of my
> finger on the rice in the pot and measure water up to just
> below my first joint.
>
> Bring it to a boil and turn down the heat to a lively
> simmer. How long did you cook your rice before you put the
> lid on? You should cook it for at least 10 minutes after it
> begins to bubble. I look for the rice kernals to just pop
> (with a hard center) before I put the lid on it.
>
> > Stir during cooking to keep the rice from sticking.
>
> I think they say to stir because rice with tomato in it
> tends to burn (think of bbq sauce). BUT, if you stir the
> rice too much, it turns into gunk.
>
> My personal rule is to NEVER stir rice once water has
> evaporated below the top of it. When you see vent holes in
> your rice, this is the time to put the lid on for final
> steaming (remember, turn the heat down to low).
>
> If your rice burns, the heat was too high - so adjust your
> temperature as the water evaporates.
>
> The entire cooking time should take a minimum of 20 minutes
> - after the water begins to boil. Your recipe is more like
> a 30 minute process, IMO.
>
> Btw: If you're using converted rice, don't expect it to
> pop... just look for vent holes and proceed. IMO: You have
> a much better chance of non-gloppy rice when you use
> converted.
>
> HTH
>
>
>
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments