Next time you want to cook jasmine rice and don’t have any special equipment like an instant pot or a rice cooker, don’t worry! There is a very simple yet effective way to make jasmine rice at home over the stovetop. Try it for yourself, and you will see that the result is as good or better as if you ordered it from the best Chinese restaurant. In this article I’m going to show you how to cook jasmine rice in a pot.
Note: Please don’t tell Uncle Roger that I’m teaching you how to cook jasmine rice in a pot on the stovetop. He thinks a rice cooker is the only valid method to prepare rice. While it definitely is a good idea to get a decent rice cooker, you can still make perfect jasmine rice at home with a single pot on the stovetop. Let’s see how!
Jasmine Rice Preparation
The key to making perfect jasmine rice is to first wash the rice. And this holds true no matter what cooking method you choose.
Simply put the rice in a large bowl and add plenty of cold water. Wash it thoroughly with your hands and then pour off the water. You will see that at the first time it is going to be whitish and very unclear. Repeat this process 5-7 times, until the water becomes clear. Drain the rice completely with a strainer after that.
The washing process does not clean the rice from any impurities, hopefully that’s already done during packaging. What it does it removes a lot of the starch from the rice. This is crucial if you want to make perfect, fluffy jasmine rice. By removing the excess starch before cooking, you make sure that your rice won’t stick any more than it is needed.
Jasmine Rice To Water Ratio
I find one reason people cannot cook perfect jasmine rice in a pot is the bad rice to water ratio. A lot of recipes tell you to use double quantity of water, I really don’t know why. No wonder such a rice turns out to be awful.
If you wash your rice, it already absorbs some water in the process. This way you really don’t need more water than you use rice. So a 1:1 rice to water ratio is what you need when cooking jasmine rice in a pot. That’s 1 cup of water to every 1 cup of dry rice (measure your rice before washing).
Make sure to drain your rice though completely in a sieve before cooking. This way no excess water from the washing process remains in the rice, which would make it mushy and too sticky.
A quick note here. While 1:1 rice to water ratio is perfect when making jasmine rice in most cases, there might be some exceptions. Cooking is for our enjoyment after all, and we all might have some different taste. Use this ratio if you are making fried rice, or you like the texture when there is some bite to the rice. It won’t be grainy or al dente, just some nice firmness. But if you like your jasmine rice very soft, you can add 1-2 tablespoons more water per cup.
As 1 cup of jasmine rice weighs 200 grams and 1 cup of water weighs 240 grams, the weight ratio is 5:6. So for every 50 grams of dry jasmine rice you need to use 60 grams of water.
Jasmine Rice Cooking Time
Put your rice in a pot and add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil per dry cups of rice. Then add the cold water according to the ratio above. Add salt if needed.
Cover your pot and bring it to a gentle boil over high heat. That takes about 4-5 minutes depending on your burner. Once it starts to simmer, turn down the heat to the lowest possible setting. The cooking time for jasmine rice is 10 minutes. Make sure you cook it covered, don’t remove the lid and don’t stir the rice.
After 10 minutes you can turn off the heat and let the rice stay covered for another 5 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork, and your perfect jasmine rice is ready to serve!
What Type Of Pot To Use
One thing I really like in this method is that it doesn’t really matter what type of pot you use. Some say you should use a nonstick one, but in my experience that’s not necessary. Just make sure that you have a very low setting on your cooktop, and your rice won’t stick to the bottom.
What is important though is that you have a perfectly matching lid for your pot. This way you can almost steam the rice, and that’s what produces perfect results with these ratios. If you have a glass lid that’s an added benefit, as you can check if the water is simmering without removing the lid.
How Much Salt To Add When Cooking Jasmine Rice
This is totally up to your taste, and this is one reason why I did not include exact salt quantities in the recipe.
The other reason is that in Asia and China people usually don’t add any salt to jasmine rice before or during cooking. The rice is steamed or cooked plain, and that somewhat bland flavor pairs well with the salty Chinese sauces. Also if making fried rice, I prefer to use unsalted jasmine rice as that way I can adjust the saltiness when preparing the final recipe.
Cooking Jasmine Rice in a Pot
Equipment
- Pot, preferably with a glass lid
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice measured dry
- 1 cup water cold
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- salt according to taste
Instructions
- Put the rice in a large bowl and add plenty of cold water. Wash it thoroughly with your hands and then pour off the water. Repeat this process 5-7 times, until the water becomes clear. Drain the rice completely with a sieve after that.
- Put your rice in a pot and add vegetable oil. Stir so that the oil covers every grain of rice. Then add the water. Add salt if needed.
- Cover your pot and bring it to a gentle boil over high heat. Once it starts to simmer, immediately turn down the heat to the lowest possible setting. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Don’t remove the lid and don’t stir the rice.
- After 10 minutes you can turn off the heat and let the rice stay covered for another 5 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork, and your perfect jasmine rice is ready to serve!
Thanks to Souped Up Recipes for the wonderful authentic Chinese recipes and cooking tips!
