Steamed rice is hard for me

Glitter Ninja said:

As some of you know, I just moved. In the move I have misplaced my
instructions for my veggie steamer, but it fortunately has approximate
times on a chart on the side of the steamer so I can use those as
guidelines. However, I've never steamed rice (boiling on the stove has
always been just fine for me) but thought I would try to make some last
night for DH who loves steamed rice.
So I filled the steamer to the water line, put the one cup of rice
suggested in the basket, and steamed the proper time according to the
chart (45 minutes). Except none of the rice was done, it was just like
I had dunked uncooked rice into some warm water for a few seconds.
So I ask of you guys -- how do I steam rice in a veggie steamer? This
is a steamer that has a screen where you can put spices to add flavor to
veggies. Should the screen be removed?
What a disaster. Fortunately the rest of dinner -- lemon tarragon
chicken, baked taters, and green beans with bacon -- was yummy.

Stacia

Can't help you there, Stacia. Don't possess a steamer 🙁 Could you not
do some googling for the instructions for your particular steamer? We
usually just use basmati rice - soak it in cold water for 15 mins, then
chuck it in boiling water for about 10 mins - then drain it - and chuck
it back in the pot on low heat with a tight lid on the pot for another
10 or 15 mins... it "steams" in the pot. Usually comes out fine... How's
the new place BTW? Settled in yet?

--
Cheers
Cathy(xyz)

"Glitter Ninja" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As some of you know, I just moved. In the move I have misplaced my
instructions for my veggie steamer, but it fortunately has approximate
times on a chart on the side of the steamer so I can use those as
guidelines. However, I've never steamed rice (boiling on the stove has
always been just fine for me) but thought I would try to make some last
night for DH who loves steamed rice.
So I filled the steamer to the water line, put the one cup of rice
suggested in the basket, and steamed the proper time according to the
chart (45 minutes). Except none of the rice was done, it was just like
I had dunked uncooked rice into some warm water for a few seconds.
So I ask of you guys -- how do I steam rice in a veggie steamer? This
is a steamer that has a screen where you can put spices to add flavor to
veggies. Should the screen be removed?
What a disaster. Fortunately the rest of dinner -- lemon tarragon
chicken, baked taters, and green beans with bacon -- was yummy.

Stacia

When they say "steamed rice" it really means boiled. It does not mean
placing the rice above the boiling water as you did. It means mixing with
the right amount of water and cooking until the water is all absorbed.
Strange use of "steamed" but that's the way it is.

--
Peter Aitken

Peter Aitken said:

When they say "steamed rice" it really means boiled. It does not mean
placing the rice above the boiling water as you did. It means mixing with
the right amount of water and cooking until the water is all absorbed.
Strange use of "steamed" but that's the way it is.

Correct.. you can boil without a lid until the water is absorbed and
finish the process without covering or you can bring to a boil,
cover with tight fitting lid and trap the steam..thus steamed rice. The
texture will vary depending on method. I wash rice and add water ~1/4 to
1/2 inch above the rice, bring to boil, lower heat to most minimum setting
for 25 minutes.. works like a charm every time. Don't peek..

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When they say "steamed rice" it really means boiled. It does not mean
placing the rice above the boiling water as you did. It means mixing with
the right amount of water and cooking until the water is all absorbed.
Strange use of "steamed" but that's the way it is.

Yes, but just as an aside - there ARE dual-purpose "vegetable
steamers/rice cookers" in which the rice IS placed above the
boiling water; the difference between using them that way and
as a regular steamer is that you generally have a rice bowl
(goes in place of the steaming basket, and doesn't have holes
in the bottom) into which you place the rice and (usually) an
equal amount of water. The water the rice is in never actually
boils, it's just there to get hot along with the rice and be absorbed
by it. So that IS, I guess, "steamed rice."

I've got one of these; not as good as an honest-to-Zeus rice
cooker, but it does get the job done (in about 30-45 minutes,
depending on the amount of rice I'm cooking) with a minimum
of attention. Dump 2 cups of rice & 2 cups of water in the bowl,
and another 2 cups of water "down below," put the lid on,
and come back in 45 min..

Bob M.

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Glitter Ninja" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As some of you know, I just moved. In the move I have misplaced my
instructions for my veggie steamer, but it fortunately has approximate
times on a chart on the side of the steamer so I can use those as
guidelines. However, I've never steamed rice (boiling on the stove has
always been just fine for me) but thought I would try to make some last
night for DH who loves steamed rice.
So I filled the steamer to the water line, put the one cup of rice
suggested in the basket, and steamed the proper time according to the
chart (45 minutes). Except none of the rice was done, it was just like
I had dunked uncooked rice into some warm water for a few seconds.
So I ask of you guys -- how do I steam rice in a veggie steamer? This
is a steamer that has a screen where you can put spices to add flavor to
veggies. Should the screen be removed?
What a disaster. Fortunately the rest of dinner -- lemon tarragon
chicken, baked taters, and green beans with bacon -- was yummy.

Stacia

When they say "steamed rice" it really means boiled. It does not mean
placing the rice above the boiling water as you did. It means mixing with
the right amount of water and cooking until the water is all absorbed.
Strange use of "steamed" but that's the way it is.

Hang on just a minute, Peter. Are you suggesting he use the directions that
are right on the package? Are you nuts?

Peter Aitken said:

When they say "steamed rice" it really means boiled. It does not mean
placing the rice above the boiling water as you did. It means mixing with
the right amount of water and cooking until the water is all absorbed.
Strange use of "steamed" but that's the way it is.

Yes and no. The rice is steamed while sitting above boiling water in
a lid covered pot/pan. But, the separate unconvered container holding
the rice also contains water.

Here's how I was taught to do it. I take a large saucepan and put a
ss wire trivet or steamer flower (or whatever you call those expando
thingies) and add water just like for regular steaming. In a separate
ss bowl, a size that will fit inside the saucepan, I put in my
thoroughly washed rice and add unheated water. The rule of thumb, or
should I say finger, is to add water up to my first finger knuckle
above the top of the rice. Cover steamer pan and steam for 25-30
mins. Perfect "steamed rice" every time. If there is a little water
left in the bottom of the bowl with the rice, no matter. Leave behind
or drain and adjust cooking time next batch.

Thai rice is also steamed, in a cone-shaped weaved grass basket set
over a special pan of boiling water. In this case, the water comes from
soaking the rice overnight prior to steaming.

nb

Glitter Ninja said:

[snip] .... (boiling on the stove has
always been just fine for me) ...[snip]
So I ask of you guys -- how do I steam rice in a veggie steamer? This
is a steamer that has a screen where you can put spices to add flavor to
veggies. Should the screen be removed? [snip]

A friend makes basmati rice using this method: bring a large pot (as
for pasta) of water to boil, add rice, boil for 8 to 12 minutes (he
says the time is not critical), drain rice into a large sieve, now
bring a few inches of water to boil again, place rice in sieve above
the water, cover the rice with a towel, cover pot loosely, let steam
until done. Again, the time is not critical, he says. I haven't
cooked it this way, but I've eaten his results and they are just fine.
So, back to your situation, you could boil the rice first, then put it
in your steamer machine to finish and that would approximate this
method.

On the other hand, since you do just fine boiling it on the stove, just
keep doing that. -aem

Stacia said:

As some of you know, I just moved. In the move I have misplaced my
instructions for my veggie steamer, but it fortunately has approximate
times on a chart on the side of the steamer so I can use those as
guidelines. However, I've never steamed rice (boiling on the stove has
always been just fine for me) but thought I would try to make some last
night for DH who loves steamed rice.
So I filled the steamer to the water line, put the one cup of rice
suggested in the basket, and steamed the proper time according to the
chart (45 minutes). Except none of the rice was done, it was just like
I had dunked uncooked rice into some warm water for a few seconds.
So I ask of you guys -- how do I steam rice in a veggie steamer? This
is a steamer that has a screen where you can put spices to add flavor to
veggies. Should the screen be removed?
What a disaster. Fortunately the rest of dinner -- lemon tarragon
chicken, baked taters, and green beans with bacon -- was yummy.

The problem is that the rice wasn't IN a receptacle of water. For a cup of
rice, use about 2 cups of water (more or less, depending on your personal
preference). Put both rice and water into a bowl of some kind and then put
that bowl into the steamer basket. Then steam as you did. Before I got my
rice cooker, that was the way I always made rice; it guarantees that there
won't be any pans with rice stuck to the bottom.

Bob

Bob Myers said:

I've got one of these; not as good as an honest-to-Zeus rice
cooker, but it does get the job done (in about 30-45 minutes,
depending on the amount of rice I'm cooking) with a minimum
of attention. Dump 2 cups of rice & 2 cups of water in the bowl,
and another 2 cups of water "down below," put the lid on,
and come back in 45 min..

So you put water in the bowl as well as down in the steamer? I'll try
that next. Thanks for the idea!
Someone else asked about Googling instructions but that didn't turn
anything up. I may call the company and ask if I can buy or get a new
instruction book -- this is a very new steamer and I hadn't used it
enough to know all the tricks yet. Fie on moving.

Stacia

Doug Kanter said:

Hang on just a minute, Peter. Are you suggesting he use the directions that
are right on the package? Are you nuts?

I'm a she, Einstein, and I said I lost the steamers directions, which
is why I asked for help. Reading comprehension problem or just
overzealous snarkiness? I think they make a creme for that, ask your
druggist.
The rice I buy doesn't have directions for using a steamer, just for
boiling. Does your rice have instructions on how to make it in a
steamer? If so, what brand are you buying?

Stacia

"Glitter Ninja" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

Hang on just a minute, Peter. Are you suggesting he use the directions
that
are right on the package? Are you nuts?

I'm a she, Einstein, and I said I lost the steamers directions, which
is why I asked for help. Reading comprehension problem or just
overzealous snarkiness? I think they make a creme for that, ask your
druggist.
The rice I buy doesn't have directions for using a steamer, just for
boiling. Does your rice have instructions on how to make it in a
steamer? If so, what brand are you buying?

Stacia

I was responding to Peter, which you would've noticed if YOU had read
carefully. One news server or another is not threading these messages
properly.

As others have told you already, you don't use a steamer for rice. The term
"steamed rice" is a misnomer. Do you always make grilled cheese sandwiches
on a grill? Steamed rice is cooked in a regular pot with a lid. This is why
you don't see instructions on the package for using a steamer.

Doug Kanter said:

As others have told you already, you don't use a steamer for rice. The term
"steamed rice" is a misnomer.

This is incorrect, as I have already pointed out in this thread. If
rice is cooked by steam, how is not "steamed rice", unless you have
initiated your own narrow definition of steaming. The advantage of
cooking by steam is it doesn't require a stovetop compatible pan. One
could steam rice in a tea cup if so inclined. Also, Thai rice is
cooked by steam.

nb

notbob said:

could steam rice in a tea cup if so inclined. Also, Thai rice is
cooked by steam.

Oops... forgot this link to Thai rice steamer:

http://importfood.com/stickyrice.html

nb

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

As others have told you already, you don't use a steamer for rice. The
term
"steamed rice" is a misnomer.

This is incorrect, as I have already pointed out in this thread. If
rice is cooked by steam, how is not "steamed rice", unless you have
initiated your own narrow definition of steaming. The advantage of
cooking by steam is it doesn't require a stovetop compatible pan. One
could steam rice in a tea cup if so inclined. Also, Thai rice is
cooked by steam.

nb

I have several Thai cookbooks and in every one, the recipe for steamed rice
is actually boiled rice. Ditto for Chinese and Japanese. However The
Seduction of Rice cookbook does talk about steamed rice, which is soaked for
an extended period and then cooked by exposure to steam. However, the
undeniable fact is that the term 'steamed rice" is widely used for boiled
rice and is a misnomer in this case.

--
Peter Aitken

In article <[email hidden]>,

Doug Kanter said:

"Glitter Ninja" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

Hang on just a minute, Peter. Are you suggesting he use the
directions that are right on the package? Are you nuts?

I'm a she, Einstein, and I said I lost the steamers directions,
which
is why I asked for help. Reading comprehension problem or just
overzealous snarkiness? I think they make a creme for that, ask
your druggist.
The rice I buy doesn't have directions for using a steamer, just
for boiling. Does your rice have instructions on how to make it in a
steamer? If so, what brand are you buying?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Stacia

I was responding to Peter, which you would've noticed if YOU had read
carefully.

Oh, pishtosh, Doug. You were talking about her and besides, when has
directing a comment to one individual ever prevented another from
responding instead of or in addition to. :-P :-)
-Barb
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-11-2006, Sausage Roll Ups

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Doug Kanter said:

"Glitter Ninja" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Doug Kanter" <[email hidden]> writes:

>Hang on just a minute, Peter. Are you suggesting he use the
>directions that are right on the package? Are you nuts?

I'm a she, Einstein, and I said I lost the steamers directions,
which
is why I asked for help. Reading comprehension problem or just
overzealous snarkiness? I think they make a creme for that, ask
your druggist.
The rice I buy doesn't have directions for using a steamer, just
for boiling. Does your rice have instructions on how to make it in a
steamer? If so, what brand are you buying?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Stacia

I was responding to Peter, which you would've noticed if YOU had read
carefully.

Oh, pishtosh, Doug. You were talking about her and besides, when has
directing a comment to one individual ever prevented another from
responding instead of or in addition to. :-P :-)
-Barb

pish posh yourself! :-)

Peter Aitken said:

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

As others have told you already, you don't use a steamer for rice. The
term
"steamed rice" is a misnomer.

This is incorrect, as I have already pointed out in this thread. If
rice is cooked by steam, how is not "steamed rice", unless you have
initiated your own narrow definition of steaming.

Steaming is not any kind of cooking method. In culinary nomenclature
steaming actually refers to cooking with heated water vapor... water
vapor is not steam. Even pressure cookers (actually pressure
processors) do not process with steam, they process food faster because
they cause water to achieve temperatures in excess of 212ºF... no
steam involved within the liquid.

Peter Aitken said:

I have several Thai cookbooks and in every one, the recipe for steamed rice
is actually boiled rice. Ditto for Chinese and Japanese. However The
Seduction of Rice cookbook does talk about steamed rice, which is soaked for
an extended period and then cooked by exposure to steam. However, the
undeniable fact is that the term 'steamed rice" is widely used for boiled
rice and is a misnomer in this case.

Only the word "steam" is a misnomer... rice can indeed be and often is
cooked by subjecting it to heated water vapor... takes a lot longer
than boiling is all. Cousecous is also cooked with heated water vapor,
there's a special cooking vessel called a couscouserie, some being
quite ornate. Many Puerto Rican dishes entail cooking rice by this
"steaming" method along with braised meat/vegetables.

couscous
[KOOS-koos]
A staple of North African cuisine, couscous is granular SEMOLINA.
Cooked, it may be served with milk as porridge, with a dressing as a
salad or sweetened and mixed with fruits for dessert. Packaged
precooked couscous is available in Middle Eastern markets and large
supermarkets. The name couscous also refers to the famous Maghreb dish
in which semolina or cracked WHEAT is steamed in the perforated top
part of a special pot called a couscoussière , while chunks of meat
(usually lamb or chicken), various vegetables, chickpeas and raisins
simmer in the bottom part. In lieu of a couscoussière , a colander set
over a large pot will do. The cooked semolina is heaped onto a platter,
with the meats and vegetables placed on top. All diners use chunks of
bread to scoop the couscous from this central platter. Couscous varies
from country to country - Moroccans include saffron, Algerians like
to add tomatoes and Tunisians spice theirs up with the hot-pepper-based
HARISSA SAUCE.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by

Which Puerto Rican dishes?