If you’re cooking rice for the first time and it comes out as undercooked rice, it’s because it wasn’t cooked correctly. If you check that the grains are still hard or it’s still sticky, you don’t need to worry about it. Cooking undercooked rice can be fixed easily. We can teach you how to fix undercooked rice.
If you are interested in creating a properly cooked rice, scroll down and continue reading.
How To Fix Undercooked Rice
What Is Undercooked Rice?
In most cases, water makes uncooked rice boil and evaporate before the rice grains are fully cooked.
Generally speaking, the center is still hard. By squeezing a grain of rice between your finger and thumb, you can check if the rice is uncooked before eating. The grain is undercooked if the outside portion can be easily squeezed but the inside portion cannot.
Also, undercooked rice basically has a rough, crusty texture.
Ways To Fix Rice That Is Undercooked
1. Fixing Undercooked Rice With If There Is Still Liquid In The Pot.
This is pretty simple to correct. If by any chance, after the allotted cooking time, there is still liquid left in the cooking pot and the rice is still hard, all you have to do is to continue cooking the rice. Cook the rice over low heat with the lid on for about five minutes. You have the option to adjust the cooking time basing on how firm the grain is. You can use a kitchen timer to track. Before fluffing and serving, turn off the heat source and let the pot to cool for 10 minutes. Your rice will be properly cooked by following this simple method.
2. Fixing Too Dry Rice When There Is No Liquid Left In The Rice Pot.
If upon checking, you noticed that your rice is dry, undercooked, and has no liquid left at the end of the cooking process, you’ll definitely need to add water. Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water to the pot while maintaining a low heat. Cook it for additional 5 minutes with the lid on. After that, take the pot from the heat and leave it covered for an additional 10 minutes. This method can cook the rice properly. Using a fork or rice paddle to fluff the rice before serving. You’ll have a fluffy rice.
3. Fixing Al Dente Rice When There Is No Liquid Left In The Pot
Al dente also refers to rice that is hard and chewy in the center yet soft and sticky on the outer. Compared to the dry rice, this rice is nearly finished, but it still requires more time to cook. To fix undercooked rice, you can move the rice to a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a microwave-safe lid. A plastic rice steamer designed exclusively for microwaves is another option. Microwave it for two minutes or till the rice softens and steam begins to rise. The rice will be cooked without drying out due to the steam produced by the microwave’s high heat between the bowl and cover. As a substitute, you might put the pot back on the stovetop for 2 more minutes on low heat. After the allotted time has passed, take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for an additional ten minutes. Use a fork or rice paddle to fluff up.
4. Fixing Rice that is barely undercooked and has no Liquid Left In The Pot.
Your rice is almost cooked if you eat rice and is slightly chewy but not overly soggy rice. It is beyond the point of being al dente, so instead of continuing to cook it on the stovetop or in the microwave, you can use the oven and preheat to to 350°F. Using a glass baking dish, distribute the rice evenly. Avoid squishing the rice by applying pressure. For about 10 minutes, bake the rice with the lid off.
5. Fixing Undercooked Rice In A Rice Cooker
It might be a little challenging to fix rice in a rice cooker, but it is definitely achievable. To start, you must assess if the rice has already been cooked and water is still in the cooker, or whether it hasn’t been cooked yet. The rice is not cooked if the middle is still firm.
To fix the undercooked rice, you just need to cook it a little longer, but you must keep in mind not to burn the rice. The bottom of the rice may burn if you cook it for a very long time or over a high temperatures.
The first thing you should do if your rice cooker runs out of water is to add some extra water. Just a tiny bit, perhaps a quarter of one cup or even less is just enough water.
After adding the water, restart the rice cooker so that the water may gently steam the rice. To prevent burning the rice in the bottom of the cooker, make sure that the temperature inside is very low.
Cook for 5 minutes, and then check the rice one more time. If it is still firm, see if there is sufficient water in the rice cooker, and give it a bit more time to steam. It ought to become soft enough to consume and enjoy shortly.
To avoid getting mushy rice, do not overfill your rice cooker with water. Once the rice has completely cooked, all of the water should evaporate.
6. Fixing Undercooked Rice Through The Microwave
If you are using microwave in cooking rice, again, assess if the rice is dry. If you think that the rice is dry, add more water. However, do not pour it straight to the bowl. If you add the rice straight to the bowl, the result will be a soggy rice. You need to moisten two fresh sheets of paper towel by running them under the faucet. Squeeze the paper towels out gently, making sure not to tear them.
The goal here is to make the sheets damp and not dripping wet. When they are sufficiently moist, straighten them out and set them on top of the bow containing the rice. Place the first sheet first, then the second.
Next, put back the rice bowl in the microwave, and cook for two minutes. The rice will be cooked by the steam from the paper towels, becoming soft and fluffy and ready to be served.
After making sure the rice is done, serve it. If more time is required, moisten the paper towels once again and repeat the process, perfecting the rice for a minute or half a minute at a time.
Tips:
By using paper towels, you may prevent rice from getting soggy, while ensuring that there is enough moisture in the microwave to soften and tenderize the rice.
Rice will likely end up dry and undercooked if you attempt to steam it with water in the bowl since the steam will likely simply escape into the microwave. Paper towels ensure that the rice is cooked by capturing moisture in the bowl and providing the right temperature.
7. Fixing Undercooked Rice Through The Oven
You also have the option to cook rice through the oven. It is a simple way to produce delicious rice. But if you’re not careful, it may result to an undercooked rice.
If you notice that the rice you baked in the oven is somehow undercooked, see if the rice has absorbed all of the water. Place the dish back in the oven if there is any water left and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes or more.
If you think that the result is a crunchy rice, add a little bit of water if there isn’t any left. Then put it back in the oven and cover with a lid. You also have the option to cover it with a foil.
One of the benefits of using this procedure is that the rice is cooked in an oven rather than directly on a heat source, you won’t have to worry about it getting burn. You just have to wait for another 5 to 10 minutes for it to be cooked in the oven. Then, remove it from the heat and see if the liquid has been absorbed.
If you check that there is still water but the rice is already cooked, simply remove the cover and bake the rice for a few minutes. This will evaporate the water. You’ll get fluffy, dry rice as a result.
Potential Mistakes In Rice Cooking
Mushy Rice
The improper water to rice ratio can result in mushy rice.
To determine how much water you need for each variety of rice, you need 1 1/2 cup of water for a cup of white short-grain rice. For 1 cup of long-grain white rice, you need 1 3/4 cup of water. For 1 cup of brown rice, you need 2 cups of water. You will have a perfect rice if you follow these instructions.
Burned Bottom
A burned bottom will result if you cook your rice in a pot that is excessively hot.
The simplest way to prevent this is to cook rice on your burner’s lowest setting.
The rice should be cooked by the steam, not by the burner itself. It is best to use a heavy-bottomed pot since a thin one exposes the rice to excessive heat.
Crunchy Rice
Make sure the cover is well closed to prevent crunchy rice. If it is not sealed securely, steam will leave the pot and will result in improper cooking of the rice. Put a kitchen towel between the pot and the cover to keep any steam from escaping.
Clumpy Rice
White rice has a strong potential to clump. To prevent this from occurring, rinse uncooked white rice in water. The white rice may rub together in the package and the starch then rubs off to make a fine powder. This powder can become sticky and make the rice mushy when it comes into touch with water. Before cooking, rinse the white rice to get rid of the starchy powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. You will have to add extra water to a dish if the rice is uncooked. If the rice is nearly cooked, you should need very little amount, but if you unintentionally used raw rice in a recipe that asked for cooked rice, you’ll could use a lot of liquid.
It is best to put uncooked rice to a soup because it absorbs the flavor of the broth, which makes the rice tastier.
Before cooking, uncooked rice has to be rinsed and soaked. Once you have drained the rice, use a big wok with a little oil, then stir-fry the rice for a few minutes. Then, add water or stock, lower the heat, and cover the skillet until the rice has absorbed the liquid.