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How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!)

December 9, 2014 by Olivia 15 Comments

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com

If you wanna learn how to cook rice, always ask a Brazilian. Rice is the first thing we learn how to make in the kitchen. It usually goes like this: girl gets married, comes back from the honeymoon and realizes she has to start cooking or both she and her husband will starve to death (down there, men rarely know how to cook!), then calls her mom to ask how to make rice and how to fry an egg. 

But how hard can it be to cook rice?, you might be thinking. Isn’t it just cooking the rice in water and that’s it? And that, my friends, is the reason why you don’t eat rice more often – or everyday, like we Brazilians do. 
 
How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com
Rice is a very important part of the Brazilian cuisine and is served at least once a day. The most popular “everyday meal” is rice, beans, beef or chicken, salad and, sometimes, french fries. Oh yeah… We love double starch. Rice and mashed potatoes, for example, is not uncommon. I remember when I first posted on this blog – my grandmother’s stroganoff – and showed the photos (that I naively thought were awesome! lol) to a friend. The first thing he said was: ‘Ew, double starch!’, because I had rice and fries in the same picture. So nowadays I usually choose one carbohydrate for the pictures but then – behind the scenes – I eat the dish with rice. :P
 
So what’s so special about the way Brazilians cook rice? The way we season it! We add onions and garlic to the rice and it makes all the difference in the world. Just trust me on this one. I dare you try my way and tell me you prefer plain tasteless rice instead. I know (I simply know!) that you will never go back to eating boring unseasoned rice again. 

Are you up for the challenge? Ok, great! Let’s do this! I promise it is not hard. It is a tiny bit more work than what you’re used to, but still not difficult at all.

First, wash your rice! What? Yes! We wash our rice! Unlike risottos, we don’t need the starch here. We want the rice to be fluffy and loose, not clumpy. So we wash it until the water runs clear. In Brazil we have special strainers for rice, but here I just use a plain cheap plastic one and it works perfectly. 

Also, for this type of rice we prefer the white long grain type. Basmati or jasmine will do. I always use jasmine because that’s my favorite. I usually don’t do free advertising here, but I’m a fan of the Goya brand. Their jasmine rice is delicious!

When cooking rice, the right proportion of rice to water is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Always! This is religious! Just kidding… But if you always remember this, your rice will always come out perfect! 

We boil the water separately. Use a tea kettle. While the water boils, you prepare the rest.

In a large pot (rice gains 50%-60% volume after cooked, so choose something with room) heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil (vegetable oil keeps the rice white! Olive oil will tint it slightly!) over high heat and, once hot, sauté one finely chopped onion and 3 minced cloves of garlic until translucent. Add the rice and let it fry really well with the onion and garlic. That seals the grain and also lubricates it, guaranteeing a loose rice at the end. 

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com

Once you’ve fried the rice for a couple of minutes, it will start forming clumps. That is the cue to add the water (that was boiling separately in a tea kettle or saucepan). Add a pinch of salt, stir with a wooden spoon, cover and lower the heat to the lowest possible setting. Now it’s just the waiting game. In about 20 minutes your rice will be ready. A good way to know is way you stop hearing the water boil and you see holes throughout the surface of the rice. 

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com

Turn the heat off, lift the lid slightly and let the rice sit untouched for 5 more minutes.

Fluff it with a fork and serve! 

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com

And that, my friends, is how I cook the perfect/fluffiest/whitest rice! Is it on my family’s table almost everyday. And, once you try it, it will probably be on yours too!

This rice will keep fine in the fridge for up to a week. It is important to sauté the onion really well, because if not, the onion will get bad and sour fast and so will your rice. 

You can use this cooked rice for so many other recipes: rice with broccoli, chicken soup, rice cakes, fried rice, holiday rice (coming to this blog later this week!)… But you will probably really enjoy it plain with some Brazilian style beans. :-) 

Scroll down for the printable version on how to cook the perfect rice! :) Enjoy your week, folks!

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!) | www.oliviascuisine.com

How to Cook Rice (the Brazilian way!)

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup white (long grain) rice (I use jasmine), washed
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Put the water to boil in a tea kettle.
  • In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.
  • Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. (Be careful not to burn it!)
  • Add the raw washed rice and cook, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn, until it starts forming clumps.
  • Add the boiling water and the salt, cover and lower the heat to the lowest setting.
  • Cook for 20 minutes or until there's no more water in the bottom. (You will see some holes forming in the surface and you won't hear any more water!)
  • Turn the heat off and lift the cover slightly.
  • Let the rice sit untouched for 5 more minutes.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
  • © Olivia's Cuisine

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    Filed Under: Brazilian Food, Recipes, Sides, Uncategorized

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    Comments

    1. olivia - Primavera Kitchen says

      December 9, 2014 at 6:56 pm

      Friend, you are totally right about brazilian rice. this is the same way I make my rice too. And I love it with beans, salad and some type of protein. I hope all is well ;-)

      Reply
    2. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

      December 10, 2014 at 11:12 am

      What an informative post, Olivia! I love that you season your rice, way better than the American way! Sounds delicious! I’m definitely trying this out the next time I make rice!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        December 11, 2014 at 12:17 pm

        Thank you, Gayle!! :D

        Reply
    3. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says

      December 10, 2014 at 12:49 pm

      Your rice looks perfect! Can’t wait to give your method a try!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        December 11, 2014 at 12:16 pm

        Thanks! Let me know what you think!!! :-)

        Reply
    4. Manali @ CookWithManali says

      December 12, 2014 at 1:07 pm

      haha Indians also eat rice everyday Olivia! I guess we are pretty similar :D The rice looks perfect!

      Reply
    5. Lori says

      October 4, 2015 at 12:33 am

      I’m so glad to have stumbled across this post (and your blog)! We lived in southern Brazil for about 3 years and while there I had friends show me how to cook several Brazilian dishes. Rice was the first thing and I have made mine this way ever since!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        October 7, 2015 at 11:25 am

        How cool, Lori! Where exactly did you live? I’m glad you like the Brazilian way of making rice. It’s so much better than plain old boiled rice, isn’t it? It actually tastes like something! :P

        Reply
    6. Jenn says

      August 5, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      Yum! Do you think I could adapt this for the rice cooker by sautéing the garlic and onion in a pan first, then dumping it in the rice cooker with the raw rice and water to cook normally? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        August 6, 2016 at 12:20 pm

        Hi Jenn,

        Yes, I think that would work! :) Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Daphne says

      August 8, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      Is this the rice to serve with feijoada for my Brasilian Olympics party?

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        August 9, 2016 at 9:04 am

        Hi Daphne,

        Yes, this is the rice with serve with any Brazilian dish! :) I hope you enjoy it.

        Reply
    8. Carol says

      January 16, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Whoa now , travel much ? Italian risotto, Spanish paella, any Indian or middle eastern rice dish , are far more superb than this.

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        February 4, 2017 at 9:35 pm

        If you search my blog, you will find recipes for all these things. This is just the Brazilian way to cook a plain rice dish.

        Reply
    9. Kristi says

      August 6, 2018 at 10:04 am

      Made this last night for a Brazilian-themed book club night (Thanks this month’s author – Paulo Coelho). It was so easy, fluffy and flavorful! I doubled it and the double onion might have been a little much for me, but everyone loved it. I’m keeping this one handy. Thanks!

      Reply

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