Humanity has been consuming rice for thousands of years.
Until yesterday, probably few of us bothered to examine the perfect amount of water for this or that measurement of rice.
But yes, to cook the perfect rice, you need just the exact amount of water.
We also never bother because we get it right for the most part, but how much water for 2 cups of rice?
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Rice: The General Rule
We can consider ourselves lucky, for we live in an era where we measure nearly everything, even the minute particles.
Imagine our ancestors when they had to cook something and yet used traditional methods of measuring, but somehow, they always got it right.
And that is the wisdom they have imparted to us; in this time and day of the internet, when information moves at the speed of light, the water-to-rice ratio never goes obsolete.
The invention of cooking utensils may owe itself to the need to follow tradition.
So what is the general rule regarding the water-to-rice ratio?
The rule of thumb is that for one cup of rice, you need two cups of water; again, 1 cup of rice = 2 cups of water.
It is as simple as any mathematical formula or rules of logic.
So, if you have 2 cups of rice, multiply the two cups of water by two, = 4. You need four cups of water for two cups of rice.
Read this: Is eating rice good for health?
Are There Any Exceptions?
We call the 1 part rice = 2 parts water general rule or rule of thumb because there are exceptions. It depends on what kind of rice you are going to cook.
Surprising as it may seem, there are such wide varieties of rice that you must make way for so many exceptions.
For sushi rice, you will need only 1 1/3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice; for basmati rice, you need only 1 ½ cups for a cup of rice.
For brown rice, meanwhile, you will need 2 ½ cups of water for a cup of rice, and so on.
So, why does it become a general rule to use 2 cups of water for one cup of rice?
What Rice Do You Eat?
Basmati rice, sushi rice, brown rice, and others are particular types of rice. Unless you eat sushi every day, you need not use sushi rice.
Meanwhile, Basmati rice is endemic in South Asia and is the typical staple food in that region.
Here, however, we are accustomed to eating long-grain white rice, which differs from those we have mentioned.
So the reason we have here, as a rule of thumb, the 1 cup rice =2 cups of water ratio is that it suits the long grain rice.
But other than that, some types of rice also need two cups of water to be perfectly cooked.
Examples would be rice consumed in Africa and Asia and types of wild rice.
Simply put, more people are eating a variety of rice that needs two parts of water per one part of rice.
That is the general rule, but how you cook the rice can also determine whether you will have a bowl of perfect rice.
How Do You Cook the Rice?
Again, depending on the type of rice grain you are cooking, you may need a longer or shorter time to boil rice.
As a general rule, the cooking time for rice should be at least fifteen minutes, but this again will apply to the rice we are accustomed to eating.
Unique varieties of rice, like jasmine rice, may take up to 25 minutes to cook perfectly.
On the other hand, Basmati rice may need only 10-12 minutes to cook it perfectly.
For this reason, basmati rice is one of the more suitable rice, if not the perfect one, for those using a rice cooker.
How Do You Know If You Have Perfectly Cooked Rice?
The texture of the rice would indicate if you have perfectly cooked rice.
White rice usually is soft, fluffy, and light; you can use a fork or taste it to know if you already have the right texture.
A rice cooker usually has a timer and thermostat; that being the case, it will automatically stop cooking once you have cooked rice.
What is the Shelf Life of Cooked Rice?
Prepared and cooked correctly, cooked rice has a shelf life of up to three to four days, and depending on the rice, some can be good for up to five days.
It is essential, though, that you store the cooked rice properly.
Leaving rice at room temperature may only be suitable for up to a few hours.
To keep the cooked rice ideal for a few days, put it in an airtight container, then refrigerate it.
If you are going to eat the rice, you can reheat it, either through a microwave or a stove, then serve it when it is steamy. Remember not to reheat the cooked rice more than once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It OK to Cook Rice in a Microwave?
You can cook rice in the microwave, and you can still use the same rice-water ratio that we have. Remember, though, to use specific containers for microwave use.
What Will Happen If You Put Too Much Water On the Rice?
If you put too much water on the rice, you will have sticky rice.
You will need more time to cook the rice, and at the same time, it will break down the rice into tiny bits.
Those two things will make the rice sticky.
What Will Happen If You Cook Rice Using Less Water?
If you use less water for cooking rice, it will be cooked much earlier. The result is dry rice, a bowl with a hard texture.
What Does Uncooked Rice Look Like?
A bowl of cooked rice should be soft, tender, and fluffy, so a bowl of uncooked rice will usually be hard and dry. Also, there will still be some water left if it is still uncooked.
The best thing to do is to measure the time and examine the rice texture to know if it is still undercooked or cooked.
Final Thoughts
Nothing beats perfectly cooked rice.
You will have a hearty meal with the perfect dish to match the steamed rice. No wonder cooking the perfect rice has been a big deal since time immemorial.
The best thing is that we can quickly cook the perfect steamed rice.
The key is to know the correct measurement, like how much water for 2 cups of rice, the type of rice grain, and the cooking time.
