Servings: 4 serves
How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker ご飯の炊き方 炊飯器編
Learn how to cook rice in a rice cooker the Japanese way for perfectly fluffy steamed rice
Equipment
- 1 rice cooker
- 1 rice measurement cup
- 1 straining bowl
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 rice puddle
Instructions
- Using the measuring cup that came with your rice cooker, scoop a cup of uncooked rice from the rice container. Place the measuring cup on a flat surface in a mixing bowl and carefully level the uncooked rice with the back of knife. Repeat the process to measure two cups.
- Place the measured rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse the rice in cold water in a mixing bowl (do not use the rice cooker's pot) to remove excess starch quickly. *2
- After draining the rice from the first rinsing process above, gently squeeze and release rice grains about 30 times in the washing bowl without water. *3
- Rinse the rice by changing the water only a few times. *4
- Put the rinsed rice into the inner pot of your rice cooker. Add water. For most white rice, use a 1:1 ratio of water to rice.
- Check the water gage in the rice cooker's inner pot and adjust the water level. Place the inner pot on a level kitchen bench surface and check the water by both gages at eye level for more accuracy.*5
- Cover the rice cooker inner pot with plastic wrap and let it soak in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Choose the "fast cooking mode" on your rice cooker. Press the start button or switch to begin the cooking process. If you haven't pre-soaked the rice then use the standard mode on the rice cooker.
- After your rice is fully cooked, immediately disable the rice cooker's keep-warm function.*6
- Allow the rice to rest undisturbed for 5-10 minutes if your rice cooker does not have a built-in steaming function. *7
- After the rice has finished steaming, open the rice cooker lid and cut the rice crosswise to divide it into four sections.
- Use a rice paddle to lift a section of the cooked rice from the bottom and gently turn it over.
- Carefully loosen the overturned rice. Repeat this process for all four sections.
Notes
*1 Such as Koshihikari. If you can not get Koshihikari rice, get the best short grain rice that you can find.
*2 Use mineral water (soft water hardness below 50 degrees) if possible.
*3 This gentle hand-squeezing process helps remove any remaining bran and excess surface sugars from the grains.
*4 Be careful not to over-wash, as excessive rinsing until the water runs completely clear can strip away flavor from the grains.
*5 Many rice cookers have water gages in two locations inside the inner pot.
*6 Most rice cookers will automatically switch to "keep warm" mode when the rice is done.
*7 If your rice cooker is equipped with a dedicated steaming function, you can skip this resting step, as the cooker will handle the moisture redistribution automatically.
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 26mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 0g, Vitamin A: 0IU, Vitamin C: 0mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0mg