Giving You Confidence – One Instant Box of Rice at a Time

I have a confession to make-up; until last year I didn’t know how to make instant rice.

The top layer of rice was never done and the bottom layer, well let’s just say many of the pans I tried to use traveled over the Rainbow Bridge in the sky.  Unless of course they only let animals cross that Rainbow Bridge, but wouldn’t that be racist? I mean I don’t remember there being signs on artistic renditions of the bridge that said ‘No pans allowed’ or ‘Pets only.’ 

But I digress, because this post isn’t how to successfully cross over the Rainbow Bridge that may or may not be racist, it’s all about the instant rice. Which now comes in the brown variety so that you won’t be accused of going all ‘Rainbow Bridge’ on your dinner.

Thanks to Anissa, or rather her older daughter, I can now successfully whip up a batch of rice in a little over five minutes.  It is a kitchen miracle. And because I am all about wanting to boast confidence of others I will share the steps with you, so you too can have success with instant rice or so you can laugh at my expense.  I consider either a win.

If you box of instant rice is like mine, there are three easy steps to a finished product.  Whether that finished product is edible or not is a different story.

Step One

In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil.  For four servings of rice you would use 2 cups of water.  The instant rice uses the 1:1 ratio of rice to water, important to remember when you are used to making the non instant variety of rice.

Step Two

Stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. (This may be longer for the brown instant rice, check your package to make sure.)  Remember our 1:1 ratio thing, so use just as much rice as you did water.  Make sure that all of the rice is moistened with the water and also make sure to remove it from the heat.  Don’t just turn the heat off if you have an electric stove, this never works out well.  Trust me and if you don’t believe me you can talk to my 16 year old honor student who was just as successful at killing the instant rice as I was until we walked through it step by step.

Step Two and a half 

This is the ever important, never written on the box step. DO NOT under any circumstances take the lid off of the rice until after the 5 minutes is up.  You will release all of the steamy goodness from the pan and your instant rice will not get cooked properly.

Step Three

Fluff lightly with fork and serve.  This step is pretty self explanatory.  I always test a piece of rice before I serve and while fluffing so I can make sure that it is done correctly.  Although since following all of the written & unwritten steps, my rice has come out perfect each and every time.  

I always make extra rice so that we can put some in the fridge for things like fried rice and rice with milk & sugar (which if you have never had is super amazing and can be used as a fix for when you have nothing in your house and want a little something sweet and filling.)

Hopefully by following these easy steps you too can conquer your fears of making instant rice, because I know I can’t be the only one that has been asked by a 10 year old, “How can you not know how to make instant rice….it’s instant!”

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