White Rice: Its Characteristics and a Recipe!

White rice is as traditional and classic as an ingredient can get. For many, in different countries, cultures and cuisines, this is the go-to ingredient when they want to make a quick, filling and nutritious meal. It is foolproof, a pot with some boiling water in it, just an inch of salt and fifteen minutes on the stove and you’ll have the perfect white rice base for you to add to almost any meal.

Now, here’s a cool recipe you can follow: carolinarice.com/recipes/arroz-chaufa/ and below, you’ll find the answer to some frequently asked questions about rice.

Rinsing White Rice Before Cooking: Yes or No?

That will actually depend on the meal you’re preparing. Note that rinsing the rice will wash the excess starch natural to it away and that will in turn make the final product less mushy and more separated. In recipes such as arroz chaufa, which is a creamy dish, it is actually better not to rinse it.

However, certain types of rice such as Basmati and Jasmine rice are high in starch and rinsing them is recommended for most recipes. Basic, long grain white rice is not so high in starch.

Is the Water to White Rice Ratio Always the Same?

Definitely not. Again, we could say that, as a general rule, basic white rice is cooked in two cups of water for every cup of rice. However, this will also depend on the type of rice you use and the dish you’re making. Be mindful of the instructions each packet of rice states, and feel free to experiment if you are not used to cooking different types of rice.

Besides, rice that is destined to be stored and reused is recommended to be undercooked as the freezing and defrosting processes can give rice that fully-cooked texture you’re looking for.

Arroz Chaufa

This is a classic recipe made white plain white rice. Resembling Chinese fried rice, arroz chaufa is the Peruvian variation of this traditional dish.

To Make the Perfect Arroz Chaufa You’ll Need

• 1 cup of white rice
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of cubed chicken thighs (or plant-based equivalent)
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ red bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh ginger to taste
• 2 green onions
• Soy sauce to taste
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of ground cumin
• ½ tbsp of sugar

Now, Follow These Steps

1. Start by cooking the white rice as usual. Two cups of water in a saucepan, season with some salt. Bring to a boil and toss in a cup of rice. Cook with the pan uncovered for fifteen to twenty minutes.
2. In the meantime, cook the rest of the ingredients. start by preheating a skillet with some extra virgin olive oil in it.
3. Prepare the eggs in a separate bowl. Beat three eggs and season with salt and pepper. Take them to the skillet and scramble them. Once they are done, remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, saute the previously peeled and diced onion and half a red bell pepper, diced up. You can use a green one and a yellow one too to make it more colorful.
5. Add the chicken thighs (or vegetarian equivalent) previously seasoned with salt and pepper. You can also use paprika and oregano. Cut them in small pieces and brown them on both sides. Cook for about eight minutes.
6. Add the chopped green onions to the mix and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Lastly, stir in the soy sauce together with a tablespoon of sesame oil and half a tablespoon of sugar. Whisk everything together and bring back the cooked rice.
8. Top everything by adding the scrambled eggs and sprinkle with some more green onions.

What do you think of white rice? What’s your favourite ever rice dish? Let us know in the comments below!