LET'S COOK BLACK RICE. Suggestions on rice-to-water ratio.
Cooking time and instructions
Most common question asked, how much water does black rice need to boilYou may have a ratio that has been working out well for you, but here what we feel gives that ideal 'chewiness', not too hard, not moist either.
First absorption
Rice needs to absorb water in a 1:1 ratio. Simple. So, if you triple your batch of rice, then triple the volume of water.
Then, evaporation
While rice is being boiled some extra water evaporates, so you have to compensate this loss by adding 'some extra' water at start. This is a FIXED volume and depends on your cooking equipment.
To find out the exact volume, cook first 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of water. Taste and most likely you will find more water is needed. Do so by adding 1/4 cup of water, cover and simmer until all water is gone. Taste again. Repeat this cycle until you got the texture just perfect - probably between 1/4 to 3/4 of a cup.
Next time, go with a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1 and add this exact amount of water for evaporation.
On a stove/with a pot
Bring rice and water to a boil for 5min (use the same cup to measure water volume).
Cover and simmer (medium-low heat), for 25 min. Fluff the rice and simmer for another 5 min.
Turn off the heat, keep covered with lid and let the rice stand for 15 min so the grains can firm up.
With a rice cooker
We have been asked what's better: a rice cooker or a potWe feel rice is tastier when using a pot, but a rice cooker works just fine, and that's what we - and most people in Thailand - use most of the time.
It's so easy, just follow your rice cooker's rice-to-water ratio recommendation and once ready, the rice cooker will shut itself off while the rice is kept warm!
