This is not your mother’s white rice recipe,…it’s my mother’s white rice recipe!  Sound boring? Not with this recipe! This is not your plain, sticky and tasteless white rice. This rice is garlicky (but not too much so), tasty and fluffy. It’s so good you can eat it plain!  Part of the reason I am posting this as one of my first recipes is so you can refer to it when I post other recipes that go hand in hand with this basic white rice.  And there are many…

Growing up, white rice was a staple and base for many delicious recipes my mom made.  She used to fry an egg and throw it on top of this rice.  Sometimes she would brown broken spaghetti noodles in oil and then add the garlic and cook the rice.  I would call it ‘worm rice’ because the noodles would get brown and look like worms.  We loved it!  Sometimes she would throw in some veggies (fresh or frozen) and make arroz primavera (Spring rice). It’s a quick side if you need one in a pinch and most kids can’t resist rice!  I have been using jasmine rice (sold at Costco in 25 pound bags) for years and I have grown to prefer it since the grains stay separated and fluffy.  Try it out and be pleasantly surprised that something so basic can be so tasty, easy and good! Full recipe is below. You can try to make this in the rice cooker, just make sure you salt correctly. I am anti rice cooker only because it ALWAYS tastes better (to me) when you make it on the stove top and it’s not that much harder.

 

I like to use olive oil but most oils will work great. 

I use Costco brand minced garlic. Fresh garlic is best for many recipes but for some, it doesn’t matter in my opinion. It’s cheap and high quality. The best combo right?

I know this looks like a ton, but I tripled the recipe when I took the photos.  Let the garlic cook and brown for a minute.

Add in the rice and stir.

Add in your water and salt. Put your lid on, turn on high and let come to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to lowest setting for 15-20 minutes.

The  garlic will rise to sit on the top of the rice, just fluff it up and mix it with a fork.

Yum! Tasty and fluffy rice!

I’m telling you, a couple fried eggs on top of this rice is so good and quick! Arroz con huevito frito! (rice with a little fried egg) My kids ask for it by name.

 

Delia’s Basic White Rice

1 cup white rice

Just shy of 2 cups of water

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt **

1 teaspoon olive oil (or vegetable)

1. Put oil in saucepan and heat on medium/high and let it get hot.
2. Add minced garlic and brown for  a minute or two being careful not to burn it.
3. Add in rice and stir well.
4. Add in your water quickly so rice doesn’t begin to brown. I have found making it with just a tiny bit less than 2 cups is best. I like my rice fluffy and not too sticky. 1 and a little more than 3/4 cups is perfect.
5. Add in your salt.
6. Place the lid on your saucepan and bring to rolling boil. Once it is boiling, stir one more time and place lid back on and turn on the lowest setting for 15-20 minutes.
7. To check the rice use a fork. Do not use a spoon as it crushes the rice and we want it to stay granulated and fluffy. Fluff the rice with the fork, serve it up, and enjoy!

** Getting the right saltiness is crucial because rice that is under salted tastes blah. The trick is to add in salt, stir it, and then taste the water. If the water is salty to your liking, then it’s perfect. If it is lacking, add a little more and stir and taste again. I do just a smidgen more than 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of rice I am making. Again, taste the water!