Rice was never one of those things that I knew how to make. Sure I ate it all the time, and even attempted to make it; but the kernels were not the light, fluffy, individual grains I longed for. I even went so far as to buy Uncle Ben’s converted rice, but it always seemed soupy to me, and each time I pulled out that box, with the friendly-looking, elderly man smiling beatifically at me, I felt ashamed. How could I not adequately make such a staple of diets around the world?
That is when I sought help from my best friend’s mother. She is Sri Lankan, and whenever she would come to visit her daughter at college, she would make some amazing Sri Lankan meal of curries, biryanis, green beans simmered in coconut milk, potatoes pan-fried with black mustard seed– the list was endless. She explained the nuances of rice to me, the ratios, the rinsing, the boiling then simmering, the fluffing, and the waiting. The first time I made rice on my own, I was naturally scared. My hands trembled as I rinsed the rice, I carefully measured out the rice and the water (one cup of rice to one and one half cups of water), mindfully I set the pot to boil, and once reached, I salted the water, turned the heat down to barely a simmer, covered the pan, and waited. It was a heart-wrenchingly difficult 15 minutes, but when I lifted the lid in order to fluff with a fork, what I saw was a thing of beauty– perfect, smooth kernels of rice co-mingling together. So I fluffed, turned the heat off the pan, and let the rice sit covered for an additional 5 minutes, and then ate the fruits of my not-so-hard labor.
And now I am a rice making fool. Since I have lost my trepidation, I try them all. In my kitchen there are always at least 3 different kinds of rice. There is the standard California long grain, slightly plump, and mild in aroma; basmati rice, loose, slender, and always fragrant; and my new favorite– baby basmati rice, or kalijira. Kalijira has all of the aromatic qualities of the basic basmati rice, but has a diminutive, pearl-like quality. Originating from Bangladesh, this rice is more expensive than basmati, and traditionally used in special occasion, and holiday dishes. I love the mouth feel of this rice, it is as if each mouthful is filled with a million tiny beads just waiting to be consumed.
It is true that the most simple of foods, are difficult to execute well. At least this was the case the case for my rice travails. But once mastered, you can truly revel in the technique.
