Surely the situation of cooking mushy rice is no longer unfamiliar as it is one of the most common “accidents.” So, do you know how to fix it? If not, let’s explore this very simple way to handle mushy rice with the Cooking Tips section of TasteVN!
1 Why is the rice mushy?
Usually, the main reason why rice becomes mushy is that you added too much water, so during the cooking process, the rice absorbs more water than normal, leading to mushy rice.
Another reason is that there are many different types of rice, some prefer water while others do not. Therefore, if you have recently changed the type of rice without carefully reading the instructions to adjust the water amount accordingly, it can also result in mushy rice.
2 How to fix mushy rice
Fluff the rice and place it in a ventilated area
The first method you can apply is to fluff the rice evenly, you can keep the rice in the rice cooker or spread the rice out on a plate, or a large bowl.
Then place it in a well-ventilated area or in front of a fan for about 20 minutes, and the rice will dry out. If you want to eat hot rice, you can steam it again in the pot for a while to enjoy.
When the rice is fluffed, it breaks the tight bonds between the rice grains, releasing water molecules in the rice, causing them to gradually evaporate, especially when exposed to wind, thus helping to remedy the mushy rice phenomenon.
Continue stirring the rice on the stove
After fluffing the rice, you scoop it into another pot or a non-stick pan, then place it on the stove and stir evenly over low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes until the rice is dry.
Note that you should use a non-stick pot or pan; if you don’t have one, you should add a little water to the pot to prevent the rice from burning on the bottom!
With this method, the high temperature of the stove will cause the water in the rice to evaporate, which can remedy the phenomenon of mushy rice.
Using sandwich bread to help the rice dry out
The final method that TasteVN wants to introduce to you is using sandwich bread. First, fluff the rice evenly, then place 2 slices of sandwich bread on top of the rice, cover it, and turn on the cooking button again.
Normally, bread has a strong water-absorbing property, so during the cooking process, the water in the rice will evaporate, and the bread will absorb all this moisture. The result is fluffy, soft, fragrant, and dry rice.
3 Tips for cooking delicious rice that is not mushy
Measure the correct water ratio
As TasteVN shared above, different types of rice will have different water measurements. However, this amount of water will not vary significantly, so you can adjust according to a rice-to-water ratio of 2:3. This way, the finished rice will be at a safe level, neither dry nor mushy.
Additionally, if you choose a drier type of rice than usual, you should add water in a 1:1 ratio so that the rice can cook soft and not be dry or undercooked!
Check the cooking pot regularly
Another tip for cooking delicious rice is to check the cooking pot regularly to avoid any malfunction during the cooking process, which can lead to rice not being tasty and becoming mushy.
Do not soak the rice
Before cooking rice, you should not soak the rice in water, as this will cause the rice to expand more, leading to mushy rice after cooking.
In addition, if you want to soak the rice, you should reduce the amount of water when measuring. Depending on the soaking time of the rice, you can adjust to reduce the amount of water accordingly.
One more note before cooking is that you absolutely should not rinse the rice with hot water!
So TasteVN has helped you answer the question about what to do with mushy rice? As well as the how to handle, fix mushy rice that is very effective and simple. Hopefully, this article will provide you with more useful information!