After eliminating gluten from my diet, rice became my go-to grain for a meal that the whole family could enjoy. When offered the choice between brown rice and white rice at restaurants, I’ve always ordered brown. They (almost) always seem to cook brown rice to perfection, not too soft while maintaining that chewy texture that pairs so nicely with meals. Rice has always been a favorite carb of choice, dating back to my high school cross-country days when I’d come home after practice and enjoy a huge — and I mean HUGE– bowl of white Calrose rice simply topped with salt. Nothing more, nothing less – just simple and salty.
Nowadays, I opt for brown rice or quinoa when cooking at home, but brown rice tends to give me a little trouble and it never comes out right. I’ve cooked it on the stovetop, stuck it in the rice cooker and even tried cooking it in the oven – but 99% of the time something wasn’t right. Too soggy, too much water left in the bottom, hard crust and most often, still undercooked. Then came the pressure cooker – a handy appliance that I sometimes forget I even own. Never will I forget that pressure cooker again, because this my friends, is my new fail-proof method to cook brown rice at home. It’s fully cooked, slightly sticky like sushi rice but still has the chewy bite brown rice is known for. I like to make larger batches and freeze some for quick weeknight meals, like healthy fried rice (recipe to come!) or use a fast side dish tossed with veggies.
Perfectly-Cooked Brown Rice
Ingredients
1 Tbsp coconut oil (olive or canola would work here as well)
2 cups short grain brown rice (long grain would probably work too)
3 2/3 cups boiling water*
3/4 tsp sea salt (more or less, if preferred)
Directions
1. In the pressure cooker, heat oil over medium-high heat until melted. Add rice and stir until lightly browned, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Remove from heat. Add boiling water and salt, then stir to combine. The water may spurt a bit so be careful!
3. Cover with pressure cooker lid and lock into place. Place back onto burner and increase heat to high until high pressure is reached.
4. Maintain high pressure and adjust heat accordingly if needed. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes then turn off burner.
5. Let the pressure drop on it’s own, leaving the pot alone for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove the lid (watch out for the steam, best to point away from you). Fluff with fork and serve.
Yields approximately 4.5 cups rice.
*I cook at a higher altitude being in Denver so this ratio worked well for me. The amount of water used may vary depending on your location so if your rice isn’t sufficiently cooked, add a couple tablespoons of boiling water, replace lid and cover on low for another 2 minutes until cooked.
