Microwave Rice for One
Microwave Rice: Cooking for One (The Right Way to Wash Rice)
A recipe for making rice in the microwave, perfect for those who enjoy dining alone.
Ingredients
- 1 cup soaked rice
- 1.2 cups water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, pour about 1.2 cups of water into the rice washing bowl. It’s recommended to use filtered or purified water instead of tap water, as this can help reduce any subtle odors in the rice and enhance the overall flavor of your cooked rice.
Step 2
Add 1 cup of rice to the water. Adding the water before the rice is crucial for effectively removing impurities from the rice grains. If you add rice first, the dust and bran might not be washed away as efficiently.
Step 3
Gently wash the rice 3 to 4 times and then let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Avoid scrubbing the rice vigorously with your hands, as this can damage the nutrients. Instead, gently swirl or agitate it, perhaps with a rice whisk, until the water runs clearer. Soaking the rice allows the grains to absorb moisture, resulting in a softer, more evenly cooked, and delicious final product.
Step 4
Transfer the soaked rice to a microwave-safe container. This can be a glass dish, a silicone container, or a dedicated rice cooking container. It’s very important to ensure the rice does not fill more than half of the container’s volume. As the rice cooks and expands, it releases steam and water, and filling it more than halfway can lead to overflow and a mess in your microwave.
Step 5
Add the cooking water. The general ratio for rice to water is about 1:1.2. For reference, about 100ml of water typically makes one serving of rice, and 200ml makes about two servings. Adjust the water amount based on the quantity of rice you’re cooking.
Step 6
Place the container in the microwave with the lid off and cook for 5 minutes. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the type of rice, how long it was soaked, and the wattage of your microwave. As a guideline, I cooked 1 cup of rice, soaked for 30 minutes, for 5 minutes in a 700W microwave.
Step 7
After the initial 5 minutes, cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and microwave for an additional 7 minutes. Once the microwave cycle is complete, letting the rice rest for about 1 minute before opening the door allows it to steam, making it even more delicious and fluffy. This resting period is called ‘tempering’ and is key to achieving perfect texture.
Step 8
Delicious rice is ready!
Step 9
Immediately after cooking, fluff the rice with a rice paddle. Even if the rice appears a bit moist initially, fluffing it with the paddle (‘jaechigi’ in Korean, which means stirring freshly cooked rice) helps to release excess moisture, resulting in perfectly separated and flavorful grains. This step also prevents the rice from becoming hard and clumpy when cooled.
