My kind of rice

You would think that cooking rice is an easy task but you have another think coming. Honestly speaking, I learned to cook a lot of dishes before I did rice. It was a series of failed attempts to the point that I literally avoided making rice for a long time. Sometimes I would end up with congee-like mass or one with some raw rice grains mixed with overcooked ones altogether that there’s no recourse but trash it and ask someone more capable to do the task. It is very important to have perfect rice especially to us Asians whose staple food is rice. And in my house, failed rice is taboo as that is the foundation of a perfect meal.

I love rice but I can live without it for months when challenged. I love short grain most especially and that’s when I can not and will not resist it- if it’s Japanese or Korean rice. There’s something about soft sticky rice but I want to see the detail of each grain not just before cooking but even when it is already cooked. I was once served with Japanese rice and I was able to pick up the contents of the rice bowl in one scoop using chopsticks. For me that’s amazing! That shows how nicely the rice hold together and it’s not wet , just soft and sticky enough. That’s my kind of rice and I could eat that with just Kikkoman soy sauce and a squirt of lemon. It could be that simple but I really enjoy it.

When I was introduced to Korean food, I fell in love with the purple rice and I would always get a tray from the cooked food section when I go to the Korean market. I just love the texture and while it is soft and sticky, there’s still some bite left to it – probably because of the other grains mixed with it. That little bowl they serve at all-you-can-eat joints is never enough for me- not diet-friendly though so it should be just a once-a-month indulgence.



I have cooked basmati rice when I cooked some Indian rice dishes and while it tasted good, my mind sort of wonder how chicken biryani would taste using Calrose.



Well, I always use short grain when I make my paella so with care, that should be doable.



Some rice dishes I made in the past. No overcooked rice for me please~

Sweet Rice Cake



Champorado



Thai Sticky Rice with Mango



There are still a lot of rice dishes I want to try and learn how to make but purple rice is still my top priority.