How to reheat rice

Rice is a very nutritious food that has many health benefits for the consumer. You can pair it up with almost any dish, and it will taste heavenly. It is easily digestible and protects us against chronic conditions such as heart disease, gastric, diabetes, etc.

Sometimes you cook rice and can’t finish everything in one sitting. You save the leftover to eat later, but it has become cold, and all moisture is lost. What do you do in such a situation?

You have to reheat the rice to regain the moisture, or it will be dry and tasteless. Today, we will discuss the various methods of how to reheat rice through this article.

How to cook the perfect rice?

Before we discuss reheating rice, let us first talk about how to cook it perfectly so that the reheating process will be simpler. Rice that is not cooked well initially will be a more difficult task to tackle while reheating.

You can also face various health challenges like food poisoning or constipation if you do not cook rice properly. So, let us look at how to cook the perfect rice.

• When reheating rice for two persons, take one or two cups of rice and add it to the pot.
• Wash it thoroughly till you can see the rice grains through the water.
• Place your index finger on top of the rice and pour in water till it reaches an inch of the finger.
• Add the pot to the rice cooker, close the lid, and ignite the cook button.
• After it is cooked, take out the rice and let it cool down a little before you start eating.

Reheating Rice

Now that you have learned how to cook rice properly let us look at the methods used to reheat rice.

Using a stove to reheat rice

Steaming leftover rice on a stove is a practice many people have used for a long time. It is a simple process and doesn’t take much time.

You only need a couple of teaspoons of water and your stove lit up on a low flame to reheat your leftover rice and revive all the moisture. Cold rice is usually dry and does not have enough moisture, making the chewing process a little tricky.

Let us look at the steps involved in reheating rice using a stove.

• Transfer the rice to a saucepan and add a few drops of oil.
• After that, add one or two tablespoons of water to every cup of leftover rice.
• Turn on the stove on low heat, close the lid, and let it cook for a few minutes.
• You must stir the rice during the reheating process so that all the grains of rice receive the same amount of moisture and heat.
• When the rice is moist and heated thoroughly, it is ready to be consumed.

Using a microwave to reheat rice

The simplest and quickest way to reheat rice is to put it in the microwave and set a timer. You can consume leftover rice, but it can upset your tummy if not cooked properly in the first place.

You need a bowl or a pot meant to be used in a microwave, or else the rice will get burnt. Reheating the leftover ice in a microwave is an easy process, and it takes only a minute or two to get done.

Let us look at the steps you can follow to reheat rice using a microwave.

• Put the rice in a container and add tablespoon of water for each cup of leftover rice.
• Break up any clumps of rice using chopsticks or a fork so that the water is spread evenly.
• Cover the rice bowl with a damp paper towel or kitchen cloth and heat it for about one minute.
• Take out the bowl and stir the rice for a while, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. For larger amounts, you should stir it multiple times.
• Once the microwave goes off, take out the rice, remove the damp towel, and your rice is ready to eat.

Using an oven to reheat rice

Using the oven to reheat is the best method if you have a large quantity of leftover rice. This is because if you reheat a large amount of rice in a big pot or a bowl, only some parts of the rice will get heated.

An oven tray is flat and wide, allowing you to spread the rice evenly, helping all the rice grains get heated and moist. Let us look at the steps involved in reheating leftover rice using an oven.

• Toss the rice on a baking tray, spread it, and sprinkle about 2 to 3 tablespoons of water before putting it inside the oven.
• Cover the top of the tray using aluminum foil to keep the steam from escaping, which helps retain the moisture in the rice.
• Put the heat in the oven at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit and let it cook for around 20 minutes.
• After the time is up, remove the tray from the oven, remove the foil, and your rice is ready to be served.

Using a rice cooker to reheat rice

If you have a rice cooker, you don’t need to look further for reheating purposes. You simply need to break up any clumps of rice and sprinkle some water.

Once you are done breaking the rice and sprinkling water, close the lid and press the warm button. The rice cooker will heat up slowly and create moisture, resulting in perfectly cooked rice.

Conclusion

There are several methods you can use to reheat rice, and it doesn’t take much labor to get it done. You can use a microwave, oven, rice cooker, or stove to reheat your rice.

All you require to reheat rice is a couple of spoonfuls of water and a few minutes for the cooking process. After that, your leftover rice is warm and ready to serve.