Dear Anai,

I have a recipe of my own that I make fried rice using white rice. Now I want to use brown rice my son left me. I usually cook the white rice first in Chicken broth. How do I go about changing over? Should I roast the rice first, then cook it in broth? Is it supposed to take almost 45 minutes to cook? I need an answer for Christmas. Please advise. Thank you.

Answer:

Brown rice husked (unmilled) rice. It is very nutritious and has a moderate amount of fibre.

It is important to keep the rice in a cool, dry place. Most keep it in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. With brown rice, you will need to pre-soak the rice for a few hours prior to cooking. This is necessary due to its hard outer layer.

Wash the rice well and drain. I normally place the rice back into a pot of water, allow it to settle and return to look for any floating debris. After the final drain, allow the rice to soak in warm water for about 6 hours. Drain and prepare for boiling.

For your recipe, I would suggest vegetable broth to replace the chicken broth. Surprisingly - you will not be able to tell the difference. I like to use vegetable broth cubes as opposed to the canned version. Check the label for monosodium glutamate if you are sensitive to the natural flavouring.

Boil the broth water, and add the brown rice. Return to a steady boil. Tightly cover the pot, and simmer over a medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Test the rice and see if it is tender to your liking. Depending on the type of brown rice, you may need 10-15 minutes additional cooking time.

For every cup of brown rice, use 1-3/4 cups of liquids. This yields 2-1/4 cups of rice. Cooking time is basically the same as with white rice - 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the rice to sit with lid still tightly closed for an additional 5 minutes. This helps absorb the remaining water.

© Copyright 2003 Anai Rhoads.