Rice is a staple and popular food in the world. While the preparation method is seemingly simple, novice and experienced cooks alike strive to get it just right, depending on the variety of grain and the end of the patillo. To prepare fluffy rice, adding vinegar is an effective trick.
Avoiding lumpy, rubbery or burnt rice depends on several factors, from the rinsing of the grains, the proportion of liquids, cooking and even rest.
Adding white rice vinegar to the cooking liquid can create fluffier rice without altering the flavor. “The acid in the vinegar is thought to break down more of the starches within the rice, helping each grain of rice absorb more liquid,” says scientist Denise Bustard via Sweet Peas & Saffron.
For Bustard, the use of vinegar can be particularly helpful for perfectly fluffy brown rice.
Basic Steps for Fluffy Rice
1. Rinse the rice
Rinsing the rice under cold water until it runs clear removes excess starch from the grains. Rinsing also helps remove dust or other unwanted material. Bustard points out that for long-grain brown rice, you only needed to rinse 1-2 times.
Soaking the rice after rinsing can also help reduce cooking time and stickiness.
2. Use a teaspoon of vinegar for two cups of liquid
Add one teaspoon of white vinegar to two cups of liquid. A generally used ratio is two cups of water to one cup of rice. Different varieties of rice require different amounts of water and cooking times. Preferably check the packaging.
The Harvard Nutrition Source notes that long-grain varieties tend to produce separate, fluffy kernels after cooking, while short or medium grains become sticky.
Here are Bustard’s recommendations for grain rice: