Great video! Rice turns out perfect every time! The only thing I would add is that when you drain the water , save it and water your plants with it! It’s good stuff!
I grew up in Indonesia and learned the finger measurement and still use it at 84 years old. It has always worked for me. Your family is my go to for anything Asian, love The Woks of Life!!!!
Didn’t grow up with a stove or rice cooker. I did have to get up before my siblings and cook the rice through. Our method required starting a fire first and getting the flame just right. I win!
I was born before the rice cooker era, although I do have one now. My mother always used the 2 for one measure and rice came out great. 2 cups water for one cup rice. Easy simple and works.
Momma Wong from the Rainbow Chinese Restaurant in Minneapolis MN taught me the three rinse and add up to the second knuckle method of how to make rice in a rice cooker in the 90s. It was a great big rice cooker and I fluffed and served many thousands of bowls of white rice for the customers. I love your channel and lessons. Always inspiring.
I cook my rice-all types in the microwave and it cooks beautifully every time. I use the finger trick from a Malaysian friend many years ago. My elderly Mother enjoys freshly cooked rice with just butter and salt and pepper. I cook and freeze portions for her in her freezer. She's happy🕊️
Excellent tutorial! I love Jasmine rice! Yours came out just the way I like it! Yum! I remember soaking it once and how quick and nicely it cooked... so, I really appreciate the guidance here! Thank you 😃 In my culture we usually toast the rice in the pot with oil or butter before we add water, I think this also helps it "cook" a bit before boiling/steaming...
I’m 61 and I have used the finger method since my parents thought me how to cook rice. I’ve never measured the amount of rice I put in the pot or rice cookers and use the finger method for the water. My rice has always been cooked to perfection and those that have tried it all liked it since they never got their rice the same way as mine.
I have a big gallon jar that I think crayfish boil seasoning originally came in that I use for rice storage. It will hold a pretty big bag of rice and keeps it nicely. I make rice just in a saucepan and do 2 for 1 recipe. Basically whatever amount of rice you use, you just use double the amount of water. I sometimes use chicken broth in place of water if I have it. I bring my water to a boil and add the rice and cover, immediately turning heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. My rice turns out great every time. I never soak my rice and it doesn’t burn. Just make sure you have a pan with a nice heavy bottom and not a thin pan.
I've always had trouble cooking rice on the stove, so I switched to baking it! Works perfectly every time: 1 cup rice to 1 and 1/2 cup of water. Rinse rice in a colander and drain. Add to small baking pan. Pinch of salt, teaspoon of oil. Bake covered in a 350⁰ oven for 20 minutes. Leave unopened on the top of the stove for 5 minutes (steam).
I cook rice on the stove (after rinsing well under running cold water) in a small cast iron (Staub!) pot. Works most perfectly. It only takes 5 min cooking, then turn off the heat, leave for another 20 minutes with lid on and voilà. Beautiful cooked rice (basmati) . Never bothered with rice cookers as I don't eat rice that often and it would be just an extra stand-in- the-way in my rather small kitchen.
I rinse my rice 3 times and have never soaked my rice. I put my water in and put my spices and always cook on the stove, I allow it to bring to boil and immediately lower temperature to simmer for 18 minutes. Perfect rice every time. Never burned never overcook.
I've never had a problem cooking rice in the stove top. I was never taught to presoak the rice. I use to use the two to one method, but lately I use one to one method and it turns out every time.
Great mini class on cooking rice. I agree, Jasmin rice is the best and the Thai brands are very pleasant. I have a small National brand rice cooker I purchased back in the late 80’s, it’s simple and still works like a charm, so glad I bought it. Good to know about the Tiger rice cooker, my family back east have had nothing but bad luck with rice cookers, so now I have a gift in mind,lol. My Asian friend who was like a brother taught me about the finger method, it works perfect. Nice also that you mentioned the 15 to 20 minute soak before stove top cooking, and to use equal portions. Question: Is that with all types of rice or just Jasmin (basmati for example). Thank you, really enjoyed the class🍚💕👍
Finger method: I am 184cm tall, my wife is 145cm tall. She also has extremely small hands. This means that my first knuckle is over 30% longer than hers, so rice made this way will come out too soggy if I were to use this "trick." Probably works well when everyone is about the same height.
Yeah, works better if you use the "two knuckle" method. Rice up to the first knuckle, water to the second knuckle of the same person's hand. I'm 4'11" (~150 cm) and my husband is 6'3" (190 cm), and this works for both of us.
I use the finger method in a stainless steel pan, learned many years ago from an Indonesian girlfriend. One pound/500 grams of rice and one knuckle of water. Heat till boiling on high heat till all visible surface water has disappeared, cover with lid and keep on the lowest hear possible for 20 minutes (30 for brown rice). Uncover for 10 minutes, fluff with a spoon or fork and cover till cooled down. Works perfectly. Never mushy or burnt rice.
I have owned a rice cooker for many years. It’s easy to use and the rice is perfect every time. You can get it started first and then work on preparing the ingredients for the rest of your meal. Your cooked rice can remain in cooker until you are ready to serve the rest of the meal.
Thanks for fully explaining the finger trick. I see now what I didn’t understand was to rest my fingertip on top of the grains of rice (not on the bottom of the pan LOL)! I appreciated your rice cooker rant & info. Also I learned that when I soak rice (I’ve only done that with sushi rice in the past), I should dump the soaking liquid & start over with the measured water. BTW, I thought there was something magic about “washing” the rice 3x??
Hahaha….my daughter doesn’t cook but she knows how to make rice in a pot. It was a requirement. I use a shortcut for pot made. After washing rice, I add water eye balling same level as rice and then stick my finger to the bottom of pot. Using my thumb same hand, I mark the top of rice. Lift up my finger (thumb still touching the marking point) and measure the water amount. Adjust as needed. I don’t soak the rice…I’ll try it. Thx
Thank you for your explanation of cooking rice: question the methods you showed are they also for other types of rice including the sticky rice. of course sticky rice need to be soaked for 24 hours or so. just let me know. Thank you.
I looked up the tiger rice cookers and they are not cheap lol when i cook my rice on the stove i wash it not soak i add 1 cup rice 1 1/2 water i boil the water first then add the rice turn down to low after a min and my rice always comes out perfect
As someone who made rice so many times, I no longer measure the water level with a cup or finger. I just look at the rice and then level the water above it (of course after rinsing the rice over and over lol).
I saw a lot of packaged jasmine rice at the store last week. Now I know more about it. At the time, I thought "what is this stuff?". Having cooked only on stove top with brown rice and making a precise scientific-like water measurement to dry rice as well as exact cooking time in minutes, now I can try pre-soaking. However, next is question of mexican fried rice.
Growing up in my small town Canadian town, we were lucky enough to have a couple families that were Chinese and they were my friends and their moms were superheros. I learned the finger method from them. On the stove in a pot with a lid. Bring it to a bubble, give it a stir, cover and turn of the heat but leave it on the element. 35 mins no peeking. I think it is good to note that not all fingers have the same digit length, plus the need to factor in your nail length. I personally stay a few millimeters shy of the first knuckle crease. Mine is almost 2.5cm/1" with a couple mm's of nail. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it though. I like my rice on the not sticky side so you may want to experiment a little to see what you like. 😊
Don't you add salt? I am used to cooking jasmine rice in a cast iron pot but recently got a rice cooker, which I'm now experimenting with. It's a bit too big for one person and the rice turns out dry when cooking only half a cup. I'll have to cook bigger batches and keep it in the fridge.
Hmmm, I have been cooking rice on the stovetop for many decades - using various amounts of water, heat and time. I have never never burned my rice. So, I am puzzled that you go on about burning rice if we don’t follow your directions!
Just one time, try cooking your rice like spaghetti. No need to measure at all, really. Boil the water. Pour your rice in. Stir for a few and in about 10 minutes, you're done.
@@jamesrobinson529 I mean nope for me. It's totally connected with how I was taught to cook rice growing up in South Carolina. No one there would dream of boiling rice like pasta. Charleston has a long history with rice, and strong opinions on how to cook it. I just can't help myself! 😄
There is a whole world of people who like the "burnt rice". Left in a pot. It is not burnt but crispy brown then you add water to release it from the pot. Some call it rice soup. You have to make it in a pot so no rice cooker in my house. Others think it will ruin a pot so fine I have used a dedicated pot for 30 years. Do not use a pot with non stick coating.
I’m older than dirt and my ancestors lived into their 90’s. They and I would disapprove highly of your washing of the rice. That was the worst example of washing rice I’ve ever seen. Unless the water you cook the rice with is crystal clear, you’ve left too much starch on the rice. My entire family learned when we were about 8-10 how to cook a pot of rice in the cooker, and on the stove. And never, never were we allowed to begin cooking a cloudy pot of water on the rice. That turned my stomach, girl. I expected better of an Asian. You need to learn how to wash rice until the water is crystal clear.
The rice producers add the fortified ingredients to the rice and you wash it away with your over washing. A quick rinse is ok if you have some contaminated in your storeage bin but not recommended
Great video! Rice turns out perfect every time! The only thing I would add is that when you drain the water , save it and water your plants with it! It’s good stuff!
I grew up in Indonesia and learned the finger measurement and still use it at 84 years old. It has always worked for me. Your family is my go to for anything Asian, love The Woks of Life!!!!
Am Indonesian-born but live in Berlin and that's how I always measure the water.
I learned that method from my Indonesian mother in law over 40 years ago and have taught my kids that same method. Perfect everytime.
Didn’t grow up with a stove or rice cooker. I did have to get up before my siblings and cook the rice through. Our method required starting a fire first and getting the flame just right. I win!
I was born before the rice cooker era, although I do have one now. My mother always used the 2 for one measure and rice came out great. 2 cups water for one cup rice. Easy simple and works.
Momma Wong from the Rainbow Chinese Restaurant in Minneapolis MN taught me the three rinse and add up to the second knuckle method of how to make rice in a rice cooker in the 90s. It was a great big rice cooker and I fluffed and served many thousands of bowls of white rice for the customers. I love your channel and lessons. Always inspiring.
I cook my rice-all types in the microwave and it cooks beautifully every time. I use the finger trick from a Malaysian friend many years ago. My elderly Mother enjoys freshly cooked rice with just butter and salt and pepper. I cook and freeze portions for her in her freezer. She's happy🕊️
How do you cook it in the microwave?
@@realSamAndrewright!!!😮
@@realSamAndrewthat was my question also 😊
Excellent tutorial! I love Jasmine rice! Yours came out just the way I like it! Yum!
I remember soaking it once and how quick and nicely it cooked... so, I really appreciate the guidance here! Thank you 😃
In my culture we usually toast the rice in the pot with oil or butter before we add water, I think this also helps it "cook" a bit before boiling/steaming...
I’m 61 and I have used the finger method since my parents thought me how to cook rice. I’ve never measured the amount of rice I put in the pot or rice cookers and use the finger method for the water. My rice has always been cooked to perfection and those that have tried it all liked it since they never got their rice the same way as mine.
I have a big gallon jar that I think crayfish boil seasoning originally came in that I use for rice storage. It will hold a pretty big bag of rice and keeps it nicely. I make rice just in a saucepan and do 2 for 1 recipe. Basically whatever amount of rice you use, you just use double the amount of water. I sometimes use chicken broth in place of water if I have it. I bring my water to a boil and add the rice and cover, immediately turning heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. My rice turns out great every time. I never soak my rice and it doesn’t burn. Just make sure you have a pan with a nice heavy bottom and not a thin pan.
I've always had trouble cooking rice on the stove, so I switched to baking it! Works perfectly every time: 1 cup rice to 1 and 1/2 cup of water. Rinse rice in a colander and drain. Add to small baking pan. Pinch of salt, teaspoon of oil. Bake covered in a 350⁰ oven for 20 minutes. Leave unopened on the top of the stove for 5 minutes (steam).
I'm so glad I found this video! I do rice on the stove, and it always sticks to the bottom. Now I'll do it this way.
I cook rice on the stove (after rinsing well under running cold water) in a small cast iron (Staub!) pot. Works most perfectly. It only takes 5 min cooking, then turn off the heat, leave for another 20 minutes with lid on and voilà. Beautiful cooked rice (basmati) . Never bothered with rice cookers as I don't eat rice that often and it would be just an extra stand-in- the-way in my rather small kitchen.
Oooh thank u for that info. I never knew how rice cookers work
And soaking rice first makes sense to me. Thank u
Thanks for the good instructions! I will put them to good use.
Thank you.
Good to know about soaking the rice 👍🏼
I rinse my rice 3 times and have never soaked my rice. I put my water in and put my spices and always cook on the stove, I allow it to bring to boil and immediately lower temperature to simmer for 18 minutes. Perfect rice every time. Never burned never overcook.
Can you share a link for the rice cooker and the storage container?
I've never had a problem cooking rice in the stove top. I was never taught to presoak the rice. I use to use the two to one method, but lately I use one to one method and it turns out every time.
Thank you so much for the stove top cooking tip.
We have an old National rice cooker and I think that is now Tiger. It is over 20 years old and still working great.
Great mini class on cooking rice. I agree, Jasmin rice is the best and the Thai brands are very pleasant. I have a small National brand rice cooker I purchased back in the late 80’s, it’s simple and still works like a charm, so glad I bought it. Good to know about the Tiger rice cooker, my family back east have had nothing but bad luck with rice cookers, so now I have a gift in mind,lol. My Asian friend who was like a brother taught me about the finger method, it works perfect. Nice also that you mentioned the 15 to 20 minute soak before stove top cooking, and to use equal portions. Question: Is that with all types of rice or just Jasmin (basmati for example). Thank you, really enjoyed the class🍚💕👍
Great tip thanks for sharing
Finger method: I am 184cm tall, my wife is 145cm tall. She also has extremely small hands. This means that my first knuckle is over 30% longer than hers, so rice made this way will come out too soggy if I were to use this "trick." Probably works well when everyone is about the same height.
Yeah, works better if you use the "two knuckle" method. Rice up to the first knuckle, water to the second knuckle of the same person's hand.
I'm 4'11" (~150 cm) and my husband is 6'3" (190 cm), and this works for both of us.
@@llkg9 yup, this is how I was taught and it's never failed me.
Finger tip at 9:15
I use the finger method in a stainless steel pan, learned many years ago from an Indonesian girlfriend. One pound/500 grams of rice and one knuckle of water. Heat till boiling on high heat till all visible surface water has disappeared, cover with lid and keep on the lowest hear possible for 20 minutes (30 for brown rice). Uncover for 10 minutes, fluff with a spoon or fork and cover till cooled down. Works perfectly. Never mushy or burnt rice.
Great tips, Ma'am WoL ! Clear & sensible instructions, well exlained. 🌿🙏🧜♂️ thanks from Barcelona city.
Thank you so much! This was very well explained. One question, do you add salt at any point?
God bless you for sharing this. Hopefully I have scrubbed my last burnt rice pot!
Different rice takes different water measures and cooking times. I go by the chart on my rice cooker instructions.
My Lola showed me to use the finger measure method. But when using the cup method, remember to use the same cup to measure both rice and water.
Now I know why my rice sticks in the pot. Thanks for the clear information!
I have owned a rice cooker for many years. It’s easy to use and the rice is perfect every time. You can get it started first and then work on preparing the ingredients for the rest of your meal. Your cooked rice can remain in cooker until you are ready to serve the rest of the meal.
Thanks for fully explaining the finger trick. I see now what I didn’t understand was to rest my fingertip on top of the grains of rice (not on the bottom of the pan LOL)! I appreciated your rice cooker rant & info. Also I learned that when I soak rice (I’ve only done that with sushi rice in the past), I should dump the soaking liquid & start over with the measured water. BTW, I thought there was something magic about “washing” the rice 3x??
Hahaha….my daughter doesn’t cook but she knows how to make rice in a pot. It was a requirement. I use a shortcut for pot made. After washing rice, I add water eye balling same level as rice and then stick my finger to the bottom of pot. Using my thumb same hand, I mark the top of rice. Lift up my finger (thumb still touching the marking point) and measure the water amount. Adjust as needed. I don’t soak the rice…I’ll try it. Thx
My family is Japanese. I learned to use my thumb to measure water for the rice. 😊
Thank you for your explanation of cooking rice: question the methods you showed are they also for other types of rice including the sticky rice. of course sticky rice need to be soaked for 24 hours or so. just let me know. Thank you.
Does this method of soaking and 1 to 1 ratio work with other kinds of rice?
I looked up the tiger rice cookers and they are not cheap lol when i cook my rice on the stove i wash it not soak i add 1 cup rice 1 1/2 water i boil the water first then add the rice turn down to low after a min and my rice always comes out perfect
As someone who made rice so many times, I no longer measure the water level with a cup or finger. I just look at the rice and then level the water above it (of course after rinsing the rice over and over lol).
Thx u
I saw a lot of packaged jasmine rice at the store last week. Now I know more about it. At the time, I thought "what is this stuff?". Having cooked only on stove top with brown rice and making a precise scientific-like water measurement to dry rice as well as exact cooking time in minutes, now I can try pre-soaking.
However, next is question of mexican fried rice.
Growing up in my small town Canadian town, we were lucky enough to have a couple families that were Chinese and they were my friends and their moms were superheros. I learned the finger method from them. On the stove in a pot with a lid. Bring it to a bubble, give it a stir, cover and turn of the heat but leave it on the element. 35 mins no peeking. I think it is good to note that not all fingers have the same digit length, plus the need to factor in your nail length. I personally stay a few millimeters shy of the first knuckle crease. Mine is almost 2.5cm/1" with a couple mm's of nail. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it though. I like my rice on the not sticky side so you may want to experiment a little to see what you like. 😊
Don't you add salt? I am used to cooking jasmine rice in a cast iron pot but recently got a rice cooker, which I'm now experimenting with. It's a bit too big for one person and the rice turns out dry when cooking only half a cup. I'll have to cook bigger batches and keep it in the fridge.
genuinely didn’t know you could make rice on the stove until i saw my white college roommate do it
Seriously? You think they had electric rice cookers 100 or 500 years ago?
I'm always confused about rinse or not rinse rice - I've seen it both ways...,so confusing. I use my instant pot rice setting .. it seems to work okay
If I may encourage you to try domestic rice, it's actually really good. Supporting our local growers is greatly appreciated!
I've only owned second-hand rice cookers- so I never even knew they came with a little cup! 😂
Are ALL rice cookers lined with aluminum that touches the rice? I would love to have a rice cooker but will NOT cook with aluminum.
I cook rice in an instant pot. I am single, so I put rice and water in a bowl. It's called pot-in-pot.
So, there’s no letting the rice set for 5 minutes after cooking?
I was taught the finger trick years ago by my Chamoran boyfriend from Guam.
Every Asian knows the finger method! Only way to cook rice. 😉
Auntie is babealicious!
Not to be picky, but the finger part is a joint, not a knuckle!
The rice cooker cups are one gō, a old japanese measurement for one serving of rice. Not a random measurement made up by rice cooker manufacturers.
Every time I use a rice cooker, the rice sticks to the bottom and almost scorches. What am I doing wrong! Thanks in advance!
Cooking too long and too high heat. It needs to simmer low 15-20min depending on how much rice you cook.
WHAT BRAND IS STICK RICE? 😊😅😮😢🎉😂❤
This may be a silly question. Is it not ok to butter it?
Byw, the best sales people are not sales people!
Hmmm, I have been cooking rice on the stovetop for many decades - using various amounts of water, heat and time. I have never never burned my rice. So, I am puzzled that you go on about burning rice if we don’t follow your directions!
Get on with it
Just one time, try cooking your rice like spaghetti. No need to measure at all, really. Boil the water. Pour your rice in. Stir for a few and in about 10 minutes, you're done.
I cook rice like that often. Much easier.
Nope. Nopity nope nope.
@@kathleenstoin671 Why not?
@@jamesrobinson529 I mean nope for me. It's totally connected with how I was taught to cook rice growing up in South Carolina. No one there would dream of boiling rice like pasta. Charleston has a long history with rice, and strong opinions on how to cook it. I just can't help myself! 😄
@@kathleenstoin671 Maybe you can invite a friend over and your friend and you can try it together...
All asians don’t know this. My wife is Chinese, so I cook the rice. Stovetop. I learned to cook it, she learned to eat it. 👍🤪🏳️🌈
There is a whole world of people who like the "burnt rice". Left in a pot. It is not burnt but crispy brown then you add water to release it from the pot. Some call it rice soup. You have to make it in a pot so no rice cooker in my house. Others think it will ruin a pot so fine I have used a dedicated pot for 30 years. Do not use a pot with non stick coating.
Not everyone’s first knuckles are at the same height….
Too much talking
I’m older than dirt and my ancestors lived into their 90’s. They and I would disapprove highly of your washing of the rice. That was the worst example of washing rice I’ve ever seen. Unless the water you cook the rice with is crystal clear, you’ve left too much starch on the rice. My entire family learned when we were about 8-10 how to cook a pot of rice in the cooker, and on the stove. And never, never were we allowed to begin cooking a cloudy pot of water on the rice. That turned my stomach, girl. I expected better of an Asian. You need to learn how to wash rice until the water is crystal clear.
The rice producers add the fortified ingredients to the rice and you wash it away with your over washing. A quick rinse is ok if you have some contaminated in your storeage bin but not recommended
You talk to much..
Smh with the racial stereotyping in the thumbnail. Really disappointing.
You talk to much
You talk to much