Fool-proof stovetop rice

It’s funny to look back on my cooking journey. I used to “make” Instant rice and never knew how to cook actual rice on the stove. My husband taught me how back when we were dating. Now he asks ME how I make it so good. White rice is a staple in our family, especially when we have large family gatherings. I could practically make it with my eyes closed now. The days of Instant rice are long gone, as this recipe is so easy, cheap, and delicious!

We always have this large bag of Jasmine rice from Sam’s in our pantry. I love that it only has one ingredient: long-grain Jasmine rice. No chemicals or additives! At a whopping 25 pounds, it lasts us quite a while!

This recipe can easily be doubled. I don’t recommend tripling it or more, however, as it probably won’t cook as well. I learned this the hard way. I tried making a big ol’ pot of it for a large family gathering, and it never got to a fluffy state. If you need to make rice for a large crowd, I recommend either having two saucepans going at once, or making it in multiple, separate batches. This rice stores and reheats very well. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Optional Flavors

When my husband taught me how to make this rice, he taught me to infuse the olive oil with garlic and onion. I highly recommend doing this. Your house will smell amazing, and the rice will obviously be so divine. It’s still delicious without it, however. I often skip this step out of pure laziness, because I know it will still be just as good. Sometimes the extra flavor just isn’t necessary anyway, depending on what kind of protein or sauces you are pairing it with in your dish.

The way you do this is, after heating your olive oil in your saucepan over medium heat, you add in your minced garlic and diced onion and stir often enough to not let the garlic burn. After 2-3 minutes, you are ready to for the next step. Add in your well-washed white rice, stir to allow it to be coated in the oil, and then stir occasionally, allowing it to toast for about 3-5 minutes. Once some of the grains start to turn brown, you are ready to add in your liquid. Turn the heat up as high as it can go, and allow to come to a rapid boil. Once boiling, turn the heat all the way to the lowest setting and cover. Now the hard part: waiting! You can use this time to tidy up the kitchen, and watch as your family soaks in the delicious smell of fresh-cooked rice on the stove.

Why I Don’t Eat Brown Rice

I’m not going to pretend that I believe that any kind rice is healthy for you; however, I have learned in recent years that, contrary to popular belief, brown rice is actually worse for you than white rice. Brown rice is often high in arsenic, and contains phytic acid, an antinutrient that makes it difficult to digest (Shoemaker, 2023; Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

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