Cooking rice is simple and easy but there are however instances where you are not getting the perfectly cooked dry rice. To cook a perfectly dry rice, there are several things to consider and that includes correct water to rice ratio, method of cooking and the type of rice used. If your rice is either mushy, soggy or sticky, not to worry as there are ways on how to dry rice out. In today’s guide, we will be talking about the ways on how to dry rice out as well as how to dry rice out to use in making fried rice.
How To Dry Rice Out
If at some point the water to rice ratio was not properly measured, it will usually result to a mushy rice. However, allowing the rice to evaporate and dry rice out will usually solve this. But if not, there are other ways for mushy rice to be used in other recipes.
If you want to dry a freshly cooked rice, you can simply spread on a tray and then place under a fan and leave it there for an hour. The moisture will evaporate the moisture of your soggy rice.
Save Cooked Rice
For mushy rice, the very first thing you need to do is of course to save the rice. You can try the following steps in saving the rice.
Allow water to evaporate
If you still notice some water in the pan, you need to let the water evaporate. You can do this by removing the cover of the pan and allow the steam to escape. Make sure heat is set to low the continue cooking for about 5 minutes. By then, the remaining water should be cooked.
Drain Extra water
Another way to save the rice is to drain extra water if there is still water in the pan. You can do this by using a colander and or a sieve. Place the sieve on the sink and then pour mushy rice. Let the rice on the sieve to allow it to drain completely.
Rinse with cold water
If the cooked rice is too sticky (sticking together), it often means that it is overcooked. To fix this, you can pour a stream of cold water on the cooked rice after draining it on the sieve. You can also help by unsticking the grains of rice using your hands.
Bake in the Oven
Another way to save the rice is to bake the rice in the oven for at least 5 minutes. This will remove excess water on the cooked rice. Oven temperature should be to at least 350 °F or 177 °C. Using a cookie sheer or a baking pan, evenly spread the rice then cook in the preheated oven for at least 5 minutes.
Cook new batch of rice
There are instances where you are unable to save the rice, if that happens you may need to cook a new batch of rice. But what about the soggy rice? Do not throw it to waste as it can still be used in other recipes. You may store it in a plastic container and put in the fridge.
Keep in mind that cooked rice only lasts for at least 6 days when placed inside the fridge, and can last up to 6 months when it is placed in the freezer.
Reuse Rice
You can still use cooked rice that is soggy or mushy in other delicious recipes such as making a fried rice and rice pudding. Other than that, you can also use rice to make burgers.
Make Fried Rice
To dry out rice for fried rice, simply spread a thin layer of rice on a sheet tray. Put inside the fridge for 20 minutes. Placing it inside the fridge will prevent rice grains from clumping.
Once soggy rice is already dried out, you can now use it to make fried rice. In a medium size pan (size of the pan depends on the amount of fried rice you will be making), heat oil. Sauté onions, garlic and ginger. Add desired vegetables for fried rice, examples are carrots and peas. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce then add dry rice few amounts at a time. Make sure to stir continuously until the pot is steaming and the fried rice is already cooked. Remove fried rice from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes.
Make Rice Pudding
To make rice pudding using soggy rice, simply heat the rice on the stove (low heat). Then add 3 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of cream then add 1/2 cup of sugar. Increase heat to medium. Cook pudding for 35 minutes, make sure to continuously stir.
For mushy or sticky rice, follow the step by step guide below in drying out rice:
Method 1:
On the pan with cooked rice, add more water. Gently stir the rice, this will help break up clumps. Then heat the rice unopened on low heat to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. After that, drain the rice and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Method 2:
Dry out rice using the preheated oven. If you are still experiencing sticky rice, evenly placed the rice on the baking sheet (thin layer). Bake for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Let it stand to cool down and fluff the rice using a fork.
Method 3:
It is recommended to wash the rice using cold water before cooking it since most processed rice have talcum powders that may contain dirt and debris.
Method 4:
If you have cooked pasta before, cooking the rice the same as pasta will do the trick that is cooking with lots of water to prevent sticky rice. Though too much water can also cause the cooked rice to be mushy. When cooking the rice with lot of water, make sure to cook while the lid is off. Once rice is cooked, you can cover the cooked rice with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice using a fork.
FAQs
Freshly cooked rice becomes wet because there is too much water or too much moisture.
To dehydrate mushy cooked rice, simply spread it in a dehydrator trays. The should be covered with non-stick sheets or parchment papers. Then dry rice on the dehydrator for 5 hours at 125 degree.
As mentioned earlier, too much water used when cooking the rice can make the rice become mushy. While with too little water, on the other hand will result to a harden rice and tends to stick to the bottom of the cooking pan.