Rice is pretty simple, really. It’s a staple all around the world, though for some cultures it’s sticky rice and others prefer more separate grains. The sheer variety of rice can be overwhelming. Brown, white, jasmine, black, purple, red, basmati, wild. Instant. Long grain, short grain, Par-cooked.  Organic, non-organic. . . . my head is spinning just writing this.

But for most people reading this, you’re probably wondering about how to cook brown or white rice. Basic, simple. You’re probably cooking for 2-4 people. So here you go! (and the video is here!)

A little background:

• Brown rice is rice that still has the bran and germ attached. It’s got more flavor (to me) and more nutrients (because the bran and germ have a bunch of nutrients in them), but it takes longer to cook and is chewier (which I like.) Any rice can be found in the brown “variety”.
• White rice has had the bran and germ removed. It’s generally more refined-looking than brown rice. It’s got a more delicate flavor and texture.

Basic cooking technique:

• 1 cup rice to 2 cups water (can use stock or some juice or wine to flavor it!)
• Bring water to a boil in a saucepan (as opposed to a skillet)
• Stir in rice, cover and turn down to a simmer. (I turn the stovetop all the way down) You can stir once or twice during cooking, but you don’t have to.
• For white rice, cook 20 minutes.
• For brown rice, cook 45 minutes.

1 cup rice will make enough for 4 people with some leftovers. You can double this recipe safely, but when you start really scaling it up the water to rice ratio changes a bit. If you like your brown rice less chewy, use an extra 2 TBS of water.