regular or instant, which one?
@sweetashoney (3594)
United States
September 16, 2018 2:26pm CST
How many of you are here eats rice? This is something that we hardly ever had while I was growing up.
Then I met my friend's family, which would become my in laws one day. I soon found out that they cook rice for about every meal, no matter what their having. So in time I have gotten used to this and have cooked a lot of rice for my own family.
My mother in law was picky when it came to rice, it had to be a surden brand and long grain Before she cooked it, she would wash it as she called it a couple of times and then measure the amount of water she used with her finger. I did have to laugh when she said why she washed it, she said that you never know who might have set on them bags of rice! lol
So since she is the one that taught me, I have always cooked rice like her, except the washing part. I have always cooked regular rice and have never tried making instant rice.
Well the other day my daughter brought me a big box of Minute white rice. Last night I tried it for the first time. Let's just put it this way, its edible, nothing to brag about, that's for sure! I would compare it to how some people feel about boxed mac & cheese and homemade baked mac & cheese. There's a big difference, I guess it's also all according to what your used to or like.
10 people like this
12 responses
@Daljinder (23228)
• Bangalore, India
16 Sep 18
Rice is one of the staple food of my country so we have it daily. We cook it in multiple ways.
3 people like this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I had to laugh one time when my grandmother ask me if these people were from China, since they ate so much! lol
2 people like this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
17 Sep 18
@Daljinder I don't know, my in laws were from South Carolina, US. I think they used it like that because they had a lot of kids. So they could cook a pot of rice and a pot of beans and feed the whole family. My mother-in-law had 10 kids to feed.
2 people like this
@Daljinder (23228)
• Bangalore, India
17 Sep 18
@sweetashoney Maybe rice is an Asian thing.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
16 Sep 18
I have rice now and again, depending on whether I am cooking a Chinese or an Indian dish to go with it. I would normally use Basmati rice because I much prefer the flavour to ordinary Long Grain. As there are only two of us usually and since we don't have it that often, I have taken to buying the microwaveable packets (just 2 minutes in the microwave). I have tried the dried, quick-cook rice and I agree that its 'edible' - just.
When cooking rice normally, I have learned that washing it first until the water runs clear helps to keep the grains separate (gone are the days when you couldn't trust where and how the rice had been stored!). I then boil it for 10 minutes in plenty of water, drain it and put it to steam in a colander over boiling water for a further 10 minutes. This avoids having to measure the water ("2 to 2 1/2 times the amount of rice by volume"), keeps the grains separate and means that the rice can sit until the rest of the meal is ready.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
16 Sep 18
@sweetashoney Yes, I just put the saucepan lid on top of the rice. Sometimes I use the steamer set and do the first 10 minutes in the bottom pan, drain the rice into an upper pan (the one with the holes), fill the bottom pan with boiling water from the kettle and put the rice on top with a lid. Work it right and you can do other vegetables at the same time (baby corn, green beans &c).
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I'll have to try that. So doing it this way, you don't have to worry about the right amount of water? Oh an another thing, do you cover the colander with a lid or something while it's over the boiling water?
1 person likes this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I don't unless I don't have anything else. Like during the storm, I used instant coffee since my lights were out.
1 person likes this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
these people no less then 2 meals everyday!
1 person likes this
@Spontaneo (14703)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I like white rice when I make fried rice. I use whatever white rice we have in the cupboard. I do not like brown rice. They say brown rice is healthier. What is the most popular item on the Chinese restaurant menu? Most Chinese people are healthy. They consume lots of rice. Am I making sense?
2 people like this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
Yea, do do see a lot of white rice on their menu. That and yellow rice!lol
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
16 Sep 18
I cook regular rice. I like making fried rice. Minute rice is too gluey. I like my rice firm and tender with the grains separating from each other, not a starchy mess. 
2 people like this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I do to, weren't to impressed with that minute rice.
1 person likes this
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
17 Sep 18
I like to take left over rice and trow in some eggs and scramble it up for breakfast. I think it's good myself.
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Sep 18
most filipinos like me eat rice daily, for lunch and dinner. some eat it even for breakfast because they say it makes them feel fuller longer.
we also wash it once or twice. i never mastered measuring with the finger, so i follow the grain-water ratio - 1 cup of grains, 2 cups of water, 2 cups of grains, 3 cups of water.
it's much easier to use the electric rice cooker. it cooks by itself. but i know there are still filipinos that cook rice in a kaldero on the stove.
it seems instant rice tend to be available in countries where it's not a staple food. i don't think i've seen it here.
@freelancermariagrace (27219)
• Philippines
17 Sep 18
Rice is a staple food here in the Philippines, so yeah we have it every single day of our lives. But I am planning to switch to a healthier variant (black or brown rice) since I am diabetic.
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
17 Sep 18
that's great that you are taking that step, if it helps with you being a diabetic.
1 person likes this
