Perfect Plain Rice works every time. Quick, easy, gluten-free, vegan, light and fluffy – every single time you make it! I love rice, I eat rice most days. So it is important, to me, that my rice is perfectly cooked.

I love Perfect Plain Rice with Chilli Sin Carne, Healthy, Gluten Free, Vegan, Ginger Tofu or Lentil Dahl or on its own with a bit of tamari and white pepper.

There are lots of methods to cook plain rice – some of them work, some of them don’t work. This method works every time! It is so easy I am slight embarrassed to call it a recipe. I cook my perfect rice in a rice pot in the microwave using one of the many absorption methods – where rice is cooked with only the volume of water required to cook the rice. As the method suggests the water is absorbed by the rice. There are lots of other absorption methods – this is the most straight forward. Other methods include steaming, boiling in excess water, on the hob, in a rice cooker and so on…

Rice pots are becoming more readily available, are incredibly useful and produce consistent results. My rice pot was a much loved present from my brother and sister-in-law. It is ceramic and has two ridges on the inside: rice is added to the pot to the lowest ridge and then add boiling water is added to the next ridge. Effectively this is one part rice to two parts boiling water. There are two lids each with holes in to allow pressure and steam to escape (stops the lid blowing off). The lids are aligned so the holes are 90 degrees to each other. My rice pot will cook rice for four to six people (depending how hungry those people are).

This method uses a microwave, one pot method. I have searched for similar rice pots to the one I have and sadly cannot find one – a real shame as it is perfect for the job and looks great. However I have found a very cool Joseph Joseph Rice Cooker* which works on exactly the same principal and would look pretty fabulous on any dining table.

Allergy Information – Perfect Plain Rice

Perfect Plain Rice is gluten-free and vegan as well as… low FODMAP, celery free, coconut free, garlic free, lupin free, mustard free, nightshade free, onion free, peanut free, sesame free, soya free, tree nut free.

Top Tips – Perfect Plain Rice

This is one of the rare occasions that ingredients are measured by volume rather than weight.

I almost always use basmati rice – I prefer the taste and texture – you can use any white long grain rice (brown rice and short grain rice require different methods). I tend not to wash the rice. I also do not add salt. Your choice.

If you don’t have a rice pot do not worry, all you need is a deep microwave proof bowl (ceramic is best) add one part rice and two parts boiling water (as a very general rule one cup of uncooked rice will serve two to three people). Take a sheet of kitchen roll (big enough to cover the top of the bowl entirely), dampen it and lay it over the top of the bowl. Smooth down over the sides of the bowl so a seal is created. Cook as described below.

You may need to slightly adjust your power and cooking time depending upon your microwave. Not all microwaves perform the same…

For any leftover rice cool quickly and refrigerate. Rice can be reheated once (reheat thoroughly until it is piping hot) and should not be kept longer than two days.

Rice is one of my store cupboard essentials. I eat rice almost everyday, in one form or another. I adore it! Find out what else is on my regular shopping list with my FREE Store Cupboard Essentials Cheat Sheet. Get it now! Just click the button below, sign-up and download.

Recipe – Perfect Plain Rice

Difficulty easy
Serves 2-6 (depends how much you cook)
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes (including standing time)

Ingredients – Perfect Plain Rice

1 measure of white basmati rice
2 measures of boiling water

Method – Perfect Plain Rice

1. Add the rice to a microwave rice pot or suitable bowl. Add the boiling water and stir
2. Cover the bowl with the lid (or a piece of damp kitchen roll to create a seal)
3. Microwave on 600 W for eight minutes and leave to stand for at least 20 mins.

Note: you may need to slightly adjust your power and cooking time depending upon your microwave.