Introduction

Maybe it’s a bit arrogant of me to call this recipe Perfect Rice. But I have made a lot of not-perfect rice over the years. Finally I decided it was time to learn so I thought I’d find a Colombian to show me. They eat a lot of rice! The perfect opportunity presented itself: I was hosting a party at my house and we’d run out of rice! Fortunately my friend Jazmina said she’d be happy to help so we set about it (with a big glass of wine each). Of course she is one of these people who knows exactly how to make rice so she didn’t really measure, and I admit we got a little distracted… but I managed to learn the basics. With practice over time, I now have the Perfect Rice Recipe for you! To me, the Perfect Rice has a bit of flavour which compliments the dish with which it is served. The flavours I add are simply oil, garlic and salt.

A note on rice

I know that all rice is not created equal. I always buy jasmine or basmati rice. In Costa Rica I buy just arroz blanco, or “white rice” or – they give percentages on the package to show a percentage of whole pieces – the 99% is the one to get, or so I’m told! At any rate, this recipe is for normal rice, not instant 😉 Am I right? Can anyone tell me differently?

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice
• 2 cups of water (exactly double the amount of rice)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (any oil will work)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Perfect Rice Instructions

1. Measure out your rice into a strainer and rinse it well with water until it runs clear. Set it aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot.
3. Smash, peel and chop the garlic, and add it to the pot. Watch that the garlic doesn’t burn! Don’t leave it for longer than 1-2 minutes. If you get busy or distracted, take it off the heat.
4. Add the rice to the hot garlic oil and stir.
5. Add the salt and the water and stir. Bring to a boil. Don’t forget the salt!
6. Once the water is boiling, set the timer for 10 minutes and turn the heat down to simmer. Check the rice at the 10 minute mark; the water should have absorbed into the rice. Set aside for another 5-10 minutes to make sure the rice has finished absorbing.
7. Fluff with a fork and enjoy!

Try this with Red Lentil Dahl or Best Bean Veggie Burgers – it’s delicious!