How to Brown Rice in Rice Cooker? Simple Steps
Recently, I'm planning to cook brown rice in a rice cooker for weight loss. So, how do you cook brown rice in a rice cooker? Let's take a look together!
How to Brown Rice in Rice Cooker?
Cooking brown rice in a rice cooker is extremely simple.
First, you need to prepare 200g of brown rice. Then, wash the brown rice thoroughly and soak it in clear water for at least 2 hours in advance. Brown rice has a hard outer shell and poor water absorption. Soaking it first makes it softer and more glutinous after cooking.
After the soaking time is up, pour the brown rice into the rice cooker. The amount of water should be twice that of the brown rice (1:2). If you prefer a more glutinous texture, you can adjust it to 1:2.5.
If your rice cooker has a "brown rice" mode, you can directly select this mode. If not, use the regular rice-cooking mode, but you can appropriately extend the cooking time.
After the time is up, don't open the lid immediately. Let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes first. This step helps the brown rice absorb moisture and results in a more glutinous texture.
What Is the Ratio of Brown Rice to Water in an Electric Cooker?
Generally speaking, a ratio of 1 cup of brown rice to 2 cups of water is appropriate. The cooked brown rice will have a soft and glutinous texture and not be too hard.
However, if you prefer a more glutinous texture, you can increase it to 1:2.5. Since brown rice has stronger water absorption than regular white rice, the amount of water must be more than when cooking white rice.
Secondly, before cooking brown rice, you can soak the brown rice for 2 - 4 hours in advance. This can shorten the cooking time, make the brown rice easier to cook soft, and it is also easier for the nutrients to be absorbed.
Why Does Brown Rice Take So Long in a Rice Cooker?
Brown rice belongs to whole grain rice and retains most of the nutrients of the paddy. It has a relatively hard seed coat and aleurone layer on the outside. This is why it is more difficult to cook than regular rice.
When cooking brown rice in a rice cooker, it requires a longer time to heat and penetrate the water to ensure that the brown rice fully absorbs water, expands, and becomes soft and glutinous. The cooking time can also be affected by various factors such as the variety of brown rice, the soaking time, the model and power of the rice cooker.
Under normal circumstances, brown rice needs to be soaked for 2 - 3 hours in advance before cooking. This allows the brown rice to soak up enough water and soften the outer layer, reducing the cooking time of the rice cooker.
How to Cook Brown Rice and Quinoa Together in Rice Cooker?
First, wash the brown rice and quinoa and put them in a large bowl. Add enough water and soak for 2 - 4 hours. Soaking makes the brown rice and quinoa easier to cook soft and gives a better texture.
If you're short on time, soak for at least 1 hour.
Drain the soaked brown rice and quinoa and put them into the inner pot of the rice cooker.
Add 150 - 200 grams of water. The amount of water should be a little more than when cooking regular white rice because brown rice and quinoa have strong water absorption.
Start the "rice cooking" mode of the rice cooker and wait for it to finish cooking. If the rice cooker has a "brown rice" or "multigrain rice" mode, directly select that mode.
After cooking, don't rush to open the rice cooker. Let the rice simmer in the pot for 10 - 15 minutes. This makes the brown rice and quinoa more soft and glutinous.
Open the rice cooker and gently stir the rice with a rice spoon to distribute the excess water evenly.
How to Cook Brown and White Rice Together in Rice Cooker?
Soak the Brown Rice
Brown rice has a thicker outer skin and poorer water absorption than white rice, so it needs to be soaked in advance.
You can put the brown rice in a large bowl and add enough clean water. Soak it for 2 - 3 hours. Soaking allows the brown rice to fully absorb water, resulting in softer cooked rice.
Wash the Rice
Put the soaked brown rice and white rice separately in strainers and rinse them with clean water.
Mix the Rice
Put the soaked brown rice and white rice together into the inner pot of the rice cooker.
Add Water
Add 3 cups of clean water (when the ratio of brown rice to white rice is 1:1, the water ratio is 1:1.5). If you prefer a more glutinous texture, you can increase it to 3.5 cups of water.
Cook the Rice
Start the "rice cooking" mode of the rice cooker. Set the cooking time a bit longer.
Let the Rice Simmer
After it's cooked, don't rush to open the rice cooker. Let the rice simmer in the pot for 10 - 15 minutes.
Stir Evenly
After opening the rice cooker, gently stir the rice with a rice spoon to fully mix the brown rice and white rice and evenly distribute the excess water.
How to Cook Brown Rice in Microwave?
It is not recommended to cook brown rice in a microwave oven.
Firstly, brown rice is hard in texture and has strong water absorption. The heating method of a microwave oven makes it difficult for brown rice to be heated evenly. It is easy to have a situation where the outside is cooked but the inside is not.
At the same time, high-temperature heating in a microwave oven makes the texture of brown rice relatively dry, not as soft and glutinous as that cooked in a rice cooker.
If you really want to use a microwave oven, it is recommended to soak it for a longer time in advance and stir it several times, but the effect is still not very ideal.
