Instructions: There are many types of rice including longgrain shortgrain and glutinous varieties and all are made into flour noodles wines and vinegars as well as being used in cooking. Brown rice which is a popular wholefood in the West is not used by the Chinese who dislike its texture. Plain boiled or steamed white rice is eaten with meals. Fried rice now popular in Chinese restaurants all over the world is served in China as a snack or as the last course at a banquet and never with other cai dishes.

Longgrain rice
This is the most popular rice for cooking in southern China and it is my favourite too. It needs to be washed before it is cooked. Do not confuse it with the easycook and precooked varieties which are now widely available as these are unsuitable for Chinese cooking. They lack the starchy flavour texture and clean white colour which is so essential to Chinese cuisine.

Shortgrain rice
This rice is not to be confused with pudding rice. Shortgrain rice is usually used in Chinese cooking for making congee and is more popular outside southern China. Varieties known as American Rose or japanese Rose are very suitable and can be found in many Chinese grocers. If you cannot find shortgrain rice use longgrain instead.

Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is also known as sweet rice or sticky rice. It is short round and pearllike and is not to be confused with regular shortgrain rice or pudding rice. It has more gluten than ordinary rice and when cooked is stickier and sweeter. It is used mainly for stuffings and desserts and for making Chinese rice wine and vinegar. Most Chinese grocers stock it. Glutinous rice must be washed and soaked for at least 2 hours before cooking. You may cook it in the same way as longgrain rice (see page 218) or by steaming. If you want to steam it soak the rice for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then line a bamboo steamer with cheesecloth and spread the rice over it. Steam it for about 40 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

To wash rice

Put the required amount of rice into a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and swish the rice around with a spoon or with your hands. Carefully pour off the cloudy water keeping the rice in the bowl. Repeat this process several times until the water is clear.

Steamed rice
chinese
all regions

Enough longgrain rice to fill a glass measuring jug to 400ml level 900ml water

Put the rice into a large bowl and wash it in several changes of water until the water becomes clear. Drain the rice and put it into a heavy pot with 900ml water and bring it to the boil.

Continue boiling until most of the surface liquid has evapourated.

This should take about 15-20 minutes.

The surface of the rice should have small indentations like a pitted crater.

At this point cover the pot with a very tightfitting lid turn the heat as low as possible and let the rice cook undisturbed for 15-20 minutes.

There is no need to fluff the rice before serving it.

Steaming rice the Chinese way is quite easy. I prefer to use longgrain white rice which is drier and fluffier when cooked. Dont use precooked or easycook rice for Chinese cookery as both these types of rice have insufficient flavour and lack the texture and starchy taste which is fundamental to Chinese rice.

The secret of preparing rice without it being sticky is to cook it first at a high heat until most of the water has evapourated. Then the heat should be turned very low the pot covered and the rice cooked slowly in the remaining steam. As a child I was always instructed never to peek into the rice pot during this stage or else precious steam would escape and the rice would not be cooked properly bringing bad luck.

Here is a good trick to remember: if you make sure that you cover the rice with about 1 inch of water it should always cook properly without sticking. Many packet recipes for rice use too much water and result in a gluey mess. Follow my method and you will have perfect steamed rice the easy Chinese way.

Most Chinese eat quite large quantities of rice about 150g per head which is more than many Westerners are able to manage.

This recipe and that for Fried Rice allows about 375g dried weight of rice for 4 people. If you want more than that just increase the quantity of rice but remember to add enough water so that the level of water is about 2.5cm above the top of the rice.

Serves 4

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