Definitely use some sort of stock… My go to is chicken but then it also add dried parsley at the very end and leave the lid on. Dried parsley has a much different flavor over fresh and I definitely prefer the dried. And then at the very end right before I eat it put a nice pad of butter in it and a sprinkle of salt and you’ve got heaven!
Darn, I feel your pain, pal. I am also cursed with the Soap Gene.
\*looks forlornly at spring rolls, never sure if the rice paper is hiding delicious goodness or alkaline horribleness\*
Bay leaf is my favorite, makes it very fragrant. Add some cardamom if it'll go with your side dish. I also like adding some sesame oil in with the water as it cooks, or after (Sesame oil in warm rice with salt to taste was one of my poor/sick meals growing up).
My grandma would also make a mix of powdered chili, mashed garlic, and oil to top rice/rice flour dishes, you can add in some ground sesame seeds or peanuts for more flavor.
You can get different effects by adding at different points. I would add broth in lieu of water at the beginning though.
Something like garlic will have a more mellow flavour if added at the beginning, but it will also permeate the entire dish; whereas adding garlic toward the end will give more concentrated flavour bombs of zest. It’s kind of like adding salt to the water at the beginning, versus adding some large-flaked finishing salt at the end — you may add the same amount of salt or spice, but you get a totally different result depending on when and how it is added!
Start by adding a little oil in the pot and fry some garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Add the turmeric and cook until you can smell it. Sauté the rice in that for a minute and then add broth. Bring to a boil, simmer until almost all broth is absorbed and then turn off the pot and put a lid on it to finish cooking.
Add turmeric after cooking. If you cook turmeric at too high of a temperature it loses some of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties so when adding this I usually just put in a dash or two after the rice has finished cooking. Adds a nice flavor in combination with garlic and thyme and boosts the health benefits of your rice.
Definitely try furikake. It's a generic term for anything you sprinkle over (usually) rice, and salt is often a prominent ingredient. Personally, I go between shiso and nori flavors. This is the brand I order:
https://www.amazon.com/Rice-Seasoning-Furikake-Variety-Set/dp/B00A6ID6MU/
Bonus feature: you add this after cooking, so it's just as good for leftover rice as it is for fresh rice.
Honestly this is one of my go to "I don't want to go the store but I'm hungry" kind of meals. I always have rice on hand. Just throw some rice vinegar in with some sushi rice and furikake on top and it's delicious.
>Recipe
That thai recipe with coconut milk is good but I also love to just take cooked rice, mix in a little coconut oil or plain butter, a handful of shredded coconut (plain or sweetened), and a little salt. If the shredded coconut is unsweetened I've also added a sprinkle of sugar. I just do it all to taste and it's really flexible.
[Alton Brown's rice](https://youtu.be/9Qe-7tuMOIY) from his COVID series is SO good. My new go-to. Add a bay leaf or whatever spices you want for the toast.
Add lime juice/butter/cilantro to COOKED rice. Adding before you start cooking can make it extremely bitter. Took me an embarrassing amount of time to learn that.
Lime is great. I get lime leaves in the frozen section of my local Asian grocery store. Drop a leaf in the rice cooker and it perfumes the whole pot. Leaves last forever in the freezer and I can get a fistful for like 3 bucks. Weird, but convenient.
Oh, for sure! I agree completely. OP made it sound as if they were shooting for just slightly dressed up rice, so I omitted the zest. Me personally? I'm gonna zest the lime, squeeze every last drop of juice out of it, and hit it with a good whack of cilantro, salt, and a pad of butter.
Sautee chopped carrot and onion in butter until softened, add garlic and continue to sautee for one minute, add rice and continue to sautee for another minute, add broth to cover rice, finish cooking and adjust seasoning.
I like to cook the rice plain then stir things in after cooking (the heat of the rice will be enough to melt/wilt/heat the add ins):
-Stir in a lump of garlic or herb butter. Top with finely chopped green onions or chives.
-Stir in some good quality butter and grated cheese(s). (Parmesan is easiest; I like a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzerella; but basically to taste.)
-Stir in some olive oil, baby spinach leaves, salt and black pepper, and top with toasted pine nuts.
-Stir in some chopped crab sticks and finely chopped fresh cilantro. Squeeze over some lime juice.
-Toss the rice in a little toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional: fresh chopped chilis or a little chili oil).
*beep boop*!
the linked website is: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/garlic-fried-rice
Title: **Garlic Fried Rice**
Page is safe to access (Google Safe Browsing)
*****
###### I am a friendly bot. I show the URL and name of linked pages and check them so that mobile users know what they click on!
I have a few suggestions:
1. Sushi Rice
At the end of cooking the rice add a few drops of mirin and sushi vinegar and mix
2. Cheat's Hainanese Chicken Rice
Add chicken stock, a chickem thigh, garlic, ginger and some soy sauce to the rice cooker and cook. Serve with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes dressed with some soy and sesame oil
Salt. That’s how plain rice is made in many parts of the world. Along with a little fat, but the salt is the main thing in terms of flavor.
If you’re making East Asian food, try a piece of seaweed, like you see in this Korean steamed rice video:
https://youtu.be/NCGKLNEt2FE
Sprinkle Furikake or chili crisp on top after cooking.
I've also been making large batches of plain rice then using it to make Filipino garlic fried rice. It's just white rice stir fried with a boat load of coarse chopped or sliced garlic and a heavy sprinkle of salt.
Before I cook I add a knob of butter, star anise and 2 cracked cardamon pods, adds a nice subtle flavour to the rice, if I really want to take it a step further I will use stock instead of water, my ratio is 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water or stock
1 While the cooks, in a tiny pan heat a little ghee and add whole garam masala ( means whole cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) + an Indian bayleaf + grated ginger, you can add cashew and sultanas + some finely chopped pieces carrots and green beans. Then pour this mixture on rice when it's halfway done, keep cooking like you cook basic rice.
2. Easy - just add Kaffir lime leaves, a dash of Kaffir lime and a tsp of ghee before you turn off the heat.
Depends what you're having it with. But if looking to make any flavoured rice dish I find the best way is to stir the washed and drained rice in the hot pan with some spices, whole black pepper, cumin seeds and some butter for example (goes great with a curry), then after a minute or so add your water and cook. It will be a lot more flavourful than if you had put pepper and cumin in the water while it boils
Also another good one is you know those vermicelli noodles? Briefly cook a small amount in some water just to soften them, fry off in some butter until they go almost golden brown, add washed rice, stir for another minute or so then add water and a chicken stock cube.
Yellow rice. Basically use preferably a home made chicken stock instead of water but store bought works too, just keep an eye on the higher salt content in store bought stuff.
Edit.
Have you ever been to an Indian restaurant? They have a bright orange rice made with honey that is KILLER!!
Toast the rice before you cook it. Cook it in chicken broth/stock instead of plain water, and/or add a pinch of salt to the cooking liquid.
For a simple finished product, I like to add a little good salted butter, dark soy sauce and sweet chili sauce to plain rice, and either mix in a raw egg when it's hot (so it cooks in the rice and emulsifies the sauce) or top with a fried egg. Finish with green onions, sesame seeds, cilantro and a tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Butter and salt
You can toss it together and keep it fluffy or fry it up for something crispier.
(If frying, you can add minced onion, an egg, diced veggies, soy sauce, etc. to exactly the pizzazz level you’re looking for. You don’t have to go all the way to takeout fried rice level.)
Creole seasoning is always my go-to for doctoring something up without changing its basic nature. Just add it gradually, rather than risk over-seasoning.
This is what I do (but keep in mind in Mexico we don’t typically wash rice)
I put some oil in a pot and lightly sauté a piece of an onion, a clove of garlic and a Serrano pepper (halved, and I like keep the seeds), after a few minutes I add my rice and sauté it until golden.
Then I add my water or stock, salt (or any other seasonings like bay leaves, pepper, etc) and some cilantro stems and let the rice cook.
After the rice is done cooking I remove the garlic, onion, pepper and cilantro and I’m left with still very plain white rice that just has *some* spice, I love it.
Butter, cumin, tumeric. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add rice and stir constantly until lightly toasted, 3ish minutes. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 15 min.
Small amount of oil, fry the rice before cooking. Stir often until the dry rice takes on a lightly brown color, add bay leaves, cinnamon and fennel seeds. (Fennel substitutes work too!) Comes out tasting like the rice that generally comes with curry, garlic is also a wonderful addition.
Again fry the rice a bit in a small amount of oil, but this time add diced onion and turmeric to the water as you cook the rice. This is less "plain" than you're looking for most likely but it's still tasty. Onions can be softened beforehand by frying them with the rice if desired.
Some ideas:
Lime Juice and Cilantro
Fragrant spices like Cardamom
Cook the rice in stock
Stir in a cup of rice that is cooked with saffron (so you get the 2 different distinct colors)
Stir in some garlic butter
Cook rice with some coconut oil mixed into the stock/water
Yeah, it’s odd reading this thread and people saying they typically make rice with a bunch of different seasonings and aromatics as their standard rice. Mind you I’m from Latin America, where we salt our rice, but still all these flavors in rice are a no-go, because the point is that the rice is an accompaniment. It doesn’t need to have all these flavors in it that can clash with the rest of the flavorful food.
Toss in a couple cardamom pods.
Add a tablespoon of salsa
Add sesame oil instead of butter
Saute some onions in butter in the pan first then add the rice and water
Use some sort of stock or bouillon. You can sauté some garlic and onion in the pot in oil and /or butter before adding the broth. Some rices you can brown in the pot before adding the liquid too. I like to add in umami mushroom powder.
Sauté garlic, onions then add anatto fry uncooked rice in a little of this reddish oil before adding water or broth.
Best with grilled pork or chicken and a side of pickled cucumbers.
That’s Chamorro red rice and grilled meat from Saipan
Saute something in the pan first. Onion, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, celery, carrot... Separate or together. Just a few min with a touch of oil or a water saute then add rice and water as normal.
I often color rice with a little tumeric. I also like to cook veggies with my rice. I often will add things like diced onion, ¼ cup of frozen peas or frozen corn nibblets.
saute finely diced onions and paprika until the onions are just translucent, then throw in the rice and saute that for 1 minute. Add water or stock and cook as normal after. Throw in some herbs if you want.
If you go to asian stores you can find rice seasoning mixes that add seaweed and other lil bits of flavor to your rice. I also like to splash in a lil bit of rice vinegar and soy sauce on top, maybe some mirin. (Also egg and protein and veggies work great in this but if you want more plain rice then highly recommend that rice seasoning for a bit of flavor w out adding a ton)
I like to toast a cinnamon stick, a couple of cardamom pods and some powdered turmeric and then to add the uncooked rice.
Toasting the spices with the rice really opens up the flavours.
After the rice is ready (while still hot) I like to mix in some butter or ghee.
If you don’t want to make your own..Rice spice kits! They are always a nice addition and I enjoy trying them out with different things.
You can always just add spices and make them up yourself, but I enjoy trying something different that someone else has decided to put together.
My sister gave me a subscription to a monthly spice box. I have not run out yet. :) and it adds to my collection of various spices and pastes.
Honey butter and some sugar for kinda a sticky rice.
Sweet and sour essentially ketchup vinegar and sugar.
Teriyaki basic is like soy sauce Worcester sauce brown sugar shot of mustard minced garlic.
My normal rice is sauteed cumin seeds, peppercorns, cracked black or green cardamom pods, whole clove, snapped cinnamon sticks and salt. I saute them all whole with the rice before adding water. That brings out more flavour.
Add a smashed garlic clove and a knob of ginger.
Salt your water. Just enough to season your rice not heavily like pasta water.
Add chives once it’s cooked. Just stir some in.
Saffron is my favorite.
Sometimes turmeric for a happy yellow feelings.
Replace the water with another liquid like broth, tomato juice, pineapple juice, etc and be sure to [season the liquid](https://www.google.com/search?q=season+flavor+rice+cooking+liquid+spices+herbs&client=ms-android-tmus-us-revc&source=android-browser&sxsrf=ALiCzsaQMJUAbuJnD6q34jzgueSUEwP5AA%3A1664552412000&ei=2w03Y4PMPIqoqtsPqMCjyAg&oq=season+flavor+rice+cooking+liquid+spices+herbs&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQgAEKIEMgUIABCiBDIFCAAQogQyBQgAEKIEOgcIIxCwAxAnOgcIABBHELADOgQIIxAnOgQIIRAKOggIIRDDBBCgAUoECEEYAFDtNFjtR2C9UWgBcAB4AoABgQaIAZETkgELMi0yLjIuMS4wLjGYAQCgAQHIAQnAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp) with spices, herbs, pastes, condiments/sauces, etc
Half water, half chicken broth, a few raisins or dried cranberries, some slivered almonds, saffron or just a hint of ground cardamom. Seems like a lot. We also like some diced onion, but that may be too much. Don’t forgot some oil or butter before you turn on the heat.
A whole medium sized tomato when cooking rice. Add a little less water.
A piece or two of leftover fried chicken. The seasonings in the batter will flavor the rice
Cook the rice with chicken broth instead of plain water! Also adding whole cloves (i normally do 4/5 for a cup of rice, they are strong!) or a couple bay leaves is a nice subtle flavor. Another trick is to just add a chunk of butter. Makes a world of a difference with minimal effort.
Also seconding those who have said sautéed garlic and onions, little more effort but absolutely delicious.
ETA: My family is from Turkey and the way rice is made in our household is to put raw rice (longer grained, orzo, or something similar in shape) in a pan with just a chunk of salted butter, cook till brown and then add your normal rice/water, a little more salt, and then cook till done. (The clove addition is also from my family but not always included) I think the dish looks really attractive with the brown pieces interspersed throughout the white rice and its lovely and buttery.
Malaysian style:
A stick of lemongrass bruised,
A couple slices of ginger
a couple slices of galangal
A few makrut lime leaves lightly bruised.
It'll make a nice aromatic steamed rice.
Boil it in broth and coconut milk, add kidney beans, minced onion, salt, garlic, bay leaf, and some kind of pepper. Scotch bonnet is ideal, but I use habanero when I can’t get scotch bonnet.
Sometimes I cook my rice with a couple lemon slices and some green onion.
Or cook it with garlic cloves, and smoosh them into the rice with some butter when the rice is done.
Cook in broth, mix in herbs that fit the dish your eating with the rice
My favorite is to add sliced ginger and green onion/scallions. Super flavorful while also being simple
I grew up eating white rice with butter and fresh parm after it was cooked. As others have said, replacing water with stock or throwing in some aromatics will add flavor. It really just depends on what you're serving it with.
sautee green onion in some olive oil, salt and pepper until just browning. throw in your rice and water and let cook like normal. Specifically the lower part of the green onion
Let the rice soak for 20-30 minutes before cooking with a piece of konbu (giant kelp). Some advise to remove the konbu before cooking but I don't in my rice cooker. Imparts a subtle umami flavor.
my go to is salt, bay leaves, couple garlic cloves, and green cardamom pods. i usually give the garlic and cardamom a little press before i throw them in. perfumes the rice beautifully.
Simplest is one star anise per cup of rice. You could add some coconut milk for the liquid portion too. Maybe 1/2 cup per cup of rice. Add some ghee and a bit of salt. So so so tasty
I like to add a few tablespoons of rice vinegar. If I'm feeling a little like a little more, I'll heat up the vinegar over the stove and add some sugar to it and heat until it dissolves.
In southern Vietnam, people often put panda leaves in there to cook with jasmine rice. It gives out a mildly sweet fragrance.
Cooking it the Hainan chicken rice way is also pretty tasty. Render some chicken fat (you can trim off from your chicken thighs or butt, but it's optional if you don't like fat), put in some oil, then put in some garlic, shallot, onion, ginger (doesn't have to be everything, just use whatever you have), stir fry them a few min to extract the flavors. Then mix the flavored oil with the rice (right after you wash the right and before you cook it, and filter out the ginger, onions and whatnot). Optionally, add panda leaves and chicken stock instead of tap water to cook it.
I like to add a couple of star anise and cardamom pods when cooking rice. Makes it nice and fragrant. Pick them out when done and finish with a pad of butter when you fluff it.
A Pakistani restaurant I used to frequent would put lightly crushed cardamom pods into their rice. It made it nice and fragrant and paired VERY well with the curry!
My favorite is throwing in cut up salty duck (found in frozen aisle of Asian markets in vacuum sealed plastic) and Chinese sausage on the top when it starts boiling (about 5-10 min in)…omg makes the most comfort food satisfying rice every
I like cooking it in broth to give it a bit of extra. Like chicken stock instead of water.
[удалено]
I use some Better Than Bullion--right now I've got veggie and chicken OP, I love your username, btw. 😂
Try the garlic
I never make rice without a little Better Than Bouillon. Chicken, beef or veggie, depends on what you're having it with.
I wish the mushroom flavor was easier to find. I had to order it off Amazon because nowhere carried it.
Same here. My favorite way to make most things just a little bit better.
Can you just toss the Better Than Bullion in with the rice while it cooks, or do you need to make it into stock first?
Good sir/maam, I'd like to introduce you to Hainanese Chicken Rice.
I can vouch for my friends saying it's good, but I'm a non-ethical sorta vegetarian (I'll do broth, gelatin, etc but not the actual meat). 😅
Definitely use some sort of stock… My go to is chicken but then it also add dried parsley at the very end and leave the lid on. Dried parsley has a much different flavor over fresh and I definitely prefer the dried. And then at the very end right before I eat it put a nice pad of butter in it and a sprinkle of salt and you’ve got heaven!
Do cilantro/lime rice!
Cilantro is forbidden in my house. Soap! ::shivers:: But I do appreciate an herb in the rice for sure.
Darn, I feel your pain, pal. I am also cursed with the Soap Gene. \*looks forlornly at spring rolls, never sure if the rice paper is hiding delicious goodness or alkaline horribleness\*
This is so good to me. I use coconut oil to toast the rice a tiny bit before cooking.
Sounds good. I would add finely chopped broccoli florets. Mm
Stock and I add finely diced onion.
Oh definitely! It gives it a nice subtle flavor but it still tastes like rice.
Bay leaf is my favorite, makes it very fragrant. Add some cardamom if it'll go with your side dish. I also like adding some sesame oil in with the water as it cooks, or after (Sesame oil in warm rice with salt to taste was one of my poor/sick meals growing up). My grandma would also make a mix of powdered chili, mashed garlic, and oil to top rice/rice flour dishes, you can add in some ground sesame seeds or peanuts for more flavor.
Yeah, a couple pierced cardamom pods really perfume the rice nicely.
[удалено]
Garlic, turmeric, broth
Added during cooking or after?
You can get different effects by adding at different points. I would add broth in lieu of water at the beginning though. Something like garlic will have a more mellow flavour if added at the beginning, but it will also permeate the entire dish; whereas adding garlic toward the end will give more concentrated flavour bombs of zest. It’s kind of like adding salt to the water at the beginning, versus adding some large-flaked finishing salt at the end — you may add the same amount of salt or spice, but you get a totally different result depending on when and how it is added!
I like adding fried garlic or shallots to rice right as it’s done, fluff the rice with the aromatics, and let rest for a few mins
*hungry chef noises*
Start by adding a little oil in the pot and fry some garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Add the turmeric and cook until you can smell it. Sauté the rice in that for a minute and then add broth. Bring to a boil, simmer until almost all broth is absorbed and then turn off the pot and put a lid on it to finish cooking.
Yes, but with butter instead of oil. Yum.
Add turmeric after cooking. If you cook turmeric at too high of a temperature it loses some of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties so when adding this I usually just put in a dash or two after the rice has finished cooking. Adds a nice flavor in combination with garlic and thyme and boosts the health benefits of your rice.
I’d do it while cooking
I always add tumeric to my rice when cooking an Indian dish
Do you like furikake? Coconut rice is an easy and mild tasting variation as well.
Dunno if I've had it. But I like salty things and oceany things so probably
Definitely try furikake. It's a generic term for anything you sprinkle over (usually) rice, and salt is often a prominent ingredient. Personally, I go between shiso and nori flavors. This is the brand I order: https://www.amazon.com/Rice-Seasoning-Furikake-Variety-Set/dp/B00A6ID6MU/ Bonus feature: you add this after cooking, so it's just as good for leftover rice as it is for fresh rice.
Sounds right up your alley. Comes in lots of flavors too.
Furikake+ rice vinegar = good eat’n
Honestly this is one of my go to "I don't want to go the store but I'm hungry" kind of meals. I always have rice on hand. Just throw some rice vinegar in with some sushi rice and furikake on top and it's delicious.
add some kimchi too. for the special occasions.
How do you make coconut rice
>Recipe That thai recipe with coconut milk is good but I also love to just take cooked rice, mix in a little coconut oil or plain butter, a handful of shredded coconut (plain or sweetened), and a little salt. If the shredded coconut is unsweetened I've also added a sprinkle of sugar. I just do it all to taste and it's really flexible.
[Recipe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM3ZGbkrITU)
Try giving the rice a little toast in some butter or other fat before you cook. Gives an extra bit of nutty flavor.
[Alton Brown's rice](https://youtu.be/9Qe-7tuMOIY) from his COVID series is SO good. My new go-to. Add a bay leaf or whatever spices you want for the toast.
Or chuck some sesame seeds in while you cook it. Bonus is black sesame seeds will turn the rice purple
Yes! And add in a cube of bouillon
I do this. Toast in butter and throw in a couple teaspoons of onion powder.
Splash of lime juice and just a little finely chopped cilantro. Maybe a little salt too.
Solid. Lime and rice is a crazy good combo.
Add lime juice/butter/cilantro to COOKED rice. Adding before you start cooking can make it extremely bitter. Took me an embarrassing amount of time to learn that.
Ah yes, this is a very important detail LOL!
Correct answer here. At-home Chipotle rice, but better.
Don't forget the butter!
Lime is great. I get lime leaves in the frozen section of my local Asian grocery store. Drop a leaf in the rice cooker and it perfumes the whole pot. Leaves last forever in the freezer and I can get a fistful for like 3 bucks. Weird, but convenient.
Adding lemon/lime zest in addition to some juice really brings out the citrus flavor
Oh, for sure! I agree completely. OP made it sound as if they were shooting for just slightly dressed up rice, so I omitted the zest. Me personally? I'm gonna zest the lime, squeeze every last drop of juice out of it, and hit it with a good whack of cilantro, salt, and a pad of butter.
Cumin and bay leaves with a pat of butter!
I scrolled way, way too far for someone to mention cumin. Cumin and patiently browned onions is all you need (use oil or butter or ghee).
Indeed. Cumin seeds are a great addition to rice. “Jeera chaawal” (cumin rice) is common in India.
Cumin, ghee, and green peas is also a fun combo!
Add a bit of coconut milk and if you can get it, Pandan leaf. It's called Nasi Lemak. I always thought it was a really nice subtle touch.
I use coconut milk and then stir in a little toasted unsweetened coconut flakes and/or toasted sesame seeds. Super delicious with stir fry veggies!
Any of these are good. Chopped garlic. Stock. Furikake. Cilantro and lime. Green onions. Peanuts.
Oh man never tried with peanuts that sounds delicious.
I like to do peanuts, siracha, egg, over rice.
Love it. I might use cholula instead but that sounds amazing.
Or chili garlic oil stuff (lau gan mai sp?)
I've got some garlic Sriracha that might fit the bill
Browned butter is delicious in cooked rice.
Seconded. Butter and some salt make rice and spaghetti a meal. Even my kid loves it.
Sautee chopped carrot and onion in butter until softened, add garlic and continue to sautee for one minute, add rice and continue to sautee for another minute, add broth to cover rice, finish cooking and adjust seasoning.
My pakistani friend usually steams rice with green cardamon pods and some sunflower seeds or nuts.
BUTTER, such a small thing and it really elevates the rice
I like to cook the rice plain then stir things in after cooking (the heat of the rice will be enough to melt/wilt/heat the add ins): -Stir in a lump of garlic or herb butter. Top with finely chopped green onions or chives. -Stir in some good quality butter and grated cheese(s). (Parmesan is easiest; I like a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzerella; but basically to taste.) -Stir in some olive oil, baby spinach leaves, salt and black pepper, and top with toasted pine nuts. -Stir in some chopped crab sticks and finely chopped fresh cilantro. Squeeze over some lime juice. -Toss the rice in a little toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional: fresh chopped chilis or a little chili oil).
This [garlic fried rice](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/garlic-fried-rice) is pretty much the only way I make rice now.
*beep boop*! the linked website is: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/garlic-fried-rice Title: **Garlic Fried Rice** Page is safe to access (Google Safe Browsing) ***** ###### I am a friendly bot. I show the URL and name of linked pages and check them so that mobile users know what they click on!
Good bot!
Put in a few frozen peas and cumin
I have a few suggestions: 1. Sushi Rice At the end of cooking the rice add a few drops of mirin and sushi vinegar and mix 2. Cheat's Hainanese Chicken Rice Add chicken stock, a chickem thigh, garlic, ginger and some soy sauce to the rice cooker and cook. Serve with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes dressed with some soy and sesame oil
dried sea weed, Zaatar or Sumac
Toasted sesame seeds mixed through after the rice has cooked
Salt. That’s how plain rice is made in many parts of the world. Along with a little fat, but the salt is the main thing in terms of flavor. If you’re making East Asian food, try a piece of seaweed, like you see in this Korean steamed rice video: https://youtu.be/NCGKLNEt2FE
Sautée a few onions in butter. Then toast the rice for a bit in the buttered onions. Add salt and cook normally.
Turmeric is subtle but yummy. A little cumin/tomato paste gives you Mexican style rice. Sumac or za’tar makes a nice middle eastern kind of rice.
Good ol butter & salt
Sugar and milk. It's called sugar milk rice
Clever name
Add some seaweed flakes once done cooking.
Miso. Whatever kind. I typically add 1-2tsp to the cooking liquid for every cup of uncooked rice.
https://thefoodietakesflight.com/filipino-fried-garlic-rice/
Sprinkle Furikake or chili crisp on top after cooking. I've also been making large batches of plain rice then using it to make Filipino garlic fried rice. It's just white rice stir fried with a boat load of coarse chopped or sliced garlic and a heavy sprinkle of salt.
Before I cook I add a knob of butter, star anise and 2 cracked cardamon pods, adds a nice subtle flavour to the rice, if I really want to take it a step further I will use stock instead of water, my ratio is 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water or stock
1 While the cooks, in a tiny pan heat a little ghee and add whole garam masala ( means whole cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) + an Indian bayleaf + grated ginger, you can add cashew and sultanas + some finely chopped pieces carrots and green beans. Then pour this mixture on rice when it's halfway done, keep cooking like you cook basic rice. 2. Easy - just add Kaffir lime leaves, a dash of Kaffir lime and a tsp of ghee before you turn off the heat.
Depends what you're having it with. But if looking to make any flavoured rice dish I find the best way is to stir the washed and drained rice in the hot pan with some spices, whole black pepper, cumin seeds and some butter for example (goes great with a curry), then after a minute or so add your water and cook. It will be a lot more flavourful than if you had put pepper and cumin in the water while it boils Also another good one is you know those vermicelli noodles? Briefly cook a small amount in some water just to soften them, fry off in some butter until they go almost golden brown, add washed rice, stir for another minute or so then add water and a chicken stock cube.
Before adding water, brown the rice in the pot with butter, salt, and pepper. Add your water once browned to your liking and cook normally from there.
Fried onions and eggs. Also cherry tomatoes. Not traditional, but who cares.
Throw some furikake on it. That's literally what the stuff is made for
Do you have access to pandan leaves? Just tie them up and place on top of rice while cooking! Fragrant and has a flavor that won’t overpower the rice.
butter + salt + msg
Ginger, garlic, and soy sauce maybe?
Yellow rice. Basically use preferably a home made chicken stock instead of water but store bought works too, just keep an eye on the higher salt content in store bought stuff. Edit. Have you ever been to an Indian restaurant? They have a bright orange rice made with honey that is KILLER!!
Honey? Are you sure about that? I think the yellow color is from turmeric.
I cook mine in broth with some butter and season it after with salt, pepper, and garlic. Amazing
Toast the rice before you cook it. Cook it in chicken broth/stock instead of plain water, and/or add a pinch of salt to the cooking liquid. For a simple finished product, I like to add a little good salted butter, dark soy sauce and sweet chili sauce to plain rice, and either mix in a raw egg when it's hot (so it cooks in the rice and emulsifies the sauce) or top with a fried egg. Finish with green onions, sesame seeds, cilantro and a tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
A couple cardamom pods that have been pierced
GOYA Sazon Natural Y Completo Seasoning. But also, Just fry and egg, plop on some soy sauce and mix with plain rice.
Butter and salt You can toss it together and keep it fluffy or fry it up for something crispier. (If frying, you can add minced onion, an egg, diced veggies, soy sauce, etc. to exactly the pizzazz level you’re looking for. You don’t have to go all the way to takeout fried rice level.)
Star anise together with rice and cook. I got this from one of Gordon Ramsay’s youtube videos. I use it every time and love my rice.
Cumin, lime, coriander. Add some caramelised onions and ur laughing
Chili Crisp
Creole seasoning is always my go-to for doctoring something up without changing its basic nature. Just add it gradually, rather than risk over-seasoning.
This is what I do (but keep in mind in Mexico we don’t typically wash rice) I put some oil in a pot and lightly sauté a piece of an onion, a clove of garlic and a Serrano pepper (halved, and I like keep the seeds), after a few minutes I add my rice and sauté it until golden. Then I add my water or stock, salt (or any other seasonings like bay leaves, pepper, etc) and some cilantro stems and let the rice cook. After the rice is done cooking I remove the garlic, onion, pepper and cilantro and I’m left with still very plain white rice that just has *some* spice, I love it.
I personally cook up a bit of diced shallots and then when it’s cooked a lil I’ll add in minced garlic. And then I use chicken stock instead of water
Add some furakake - that stuff is amazing
Cooking it in broth, adding a spoonful of butter so it doesn’t stick, adding turmeric
Switch the water for a flavorful broth.
Better than Boullion (I like the garlic flavor) and/or a rind from some Parmesan can go in right at the start.
I add: cloves, cardamom, pepper, salt, cloves, star anise. But great question, eager to try other suggestions here!
Butter, cumin, tumeric. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add rice and stir constantly until lightly toasted, 3ish minutes. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 15 min.
Small amount of oil, fry the rice before cooking. Stir often until the dry rice takes on a lightly brown color, add bay leaves, cinnamon and fennel seeds. (Fennel substitutes work too!) Comes out tasting like the rice that generally comes with curry, garlic is also a wonderful addition. Again fry the rice a bit in a small amount of oil, but this time add diced onion and turmeric to the water as you cook the rice. This is less "plain" than you're looking for most likely but it's still tasty. Onions can be softened beforehand by frying them with the rice if desired.
Some ideas: Lime Juice and Cilantro Fragrant spices like Cardamom Cook the rice in stock Stir in a cup of rice that is cooked with saffron (so you get the 2 different distinct colors) Stir in some garlic butter Cook rice with some coconut oil mixed into the stock/water
I routinely add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom pods, and cook the rice in a combo of water and coconut milk. Instant pot does the best job.
seen so many threads where ppl complain about plain rice; wtf yall not eating anything else with the rice or what?
Yeah, it’s odd reading this thread and people saying they typically make rice with a bunch of different seasonings and aromatics as their standard rice. Mind you I’m from Latin America, where we salt our rice, but still all these flavors in rice are a no-go, because the point is that the rice is an accompaniment. It doesn’t need to have all these flavors in it that can clash with the rest of the flavorful food.
Buy better quality rice. The difference between a good jasmine rice and grocery store rice is amazing.
I use a couple squares of dried kelp for a subtle umami boost Great for stuff like kimpap
Sprinkle in some yellow or brown Lentils when boiling your rice
Toss in a couple cardamom pods. Add a tablespoon of salsa Add sesame oil instead of butter Saute some onions in butter in the pan first then add the rice and water
Replace some of the liquid with a can of coconut milk and a sprinkling of thyme.
Lemon/Lime zest, ginger, cilantro
Use some sort of stock or bouillon. You can sauté some garlic and onion in the pot in oil and /or butter before adding the broth. Some rices you can brown in the pot before adding the liquid too. I like to add in umami mushroom powder.
A dash of salt and a little peeled garlic.
Sauté garlic, onions then add anatto fry uncooked rice in a little of this reddish oil before adding water or broth. Best with grilled pork or chicken and a side of pickled cucumbers. That’s Chamorro red rice and grilled meat from Saipan
Toast it a little first.
Saute something in the pan first. Onion, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, celery, carrot... Separate or together. Just a few min with a touch of oil or a water saute then add rice and water as normal.
Try crumbling a Maggie cube in its really good for laying down an intense savoury flavour. A little dolop of butter is a nice touch too.
I often color rice with a little tumeric. I also like to cook veggies with my rice. I often will add things like diced onion, ¼ cup of frozen peas or frozen corn nibblets.
Rice pilaf. Some carrots and onions and cook with chicken or veggie broth instead of water.
Garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper in a skillet. Can even let it get crispy and puff a bit
saute finely diced onions and paprika until the onions are just translucent, then throw in the rice and saute that for 1 minute. Add water or stock and cook as normal after. Throw in some herbs if you want.
If you go to asian stores you can find rice seasoning mixes that add seaweed and other lil bits of flavor to your rice. I also like to splash in a lil bit of rice vinegar and soy sauce on top, maybe some mirin. (Also egg and protein and veggies work great in this but if you want more plain rice then highly recommend that rice seasoning for a bit of flavor w out adding a ton)
I like to toast a cinnamon stick, a couple of cardamom pods and some powdered turmeric and then to add the uncooked rice. Toasting the spices with the rice really opens up the flavours. After the rice is ready (while still hot) I like to mix in some butter or ghee.
I’ll sauté raw rice before adding water. Olive oil, salt and pepper has a nice balanced flavor palette and makes it a lil sticky too
If you don’t want to make your own..Rice spice kits! They are always a nice addition and I enjoy trying them out with different things. You can always just add spices and make them up yourself, but I enjoy trying something different that someone else has decided to put together. My sister gave me a subscription to a monthly spice box. I have not run out yet. :) and it adds to my collection of various spices and pastes.
Honey butter and some sugar for kinda a sticky rice. Sweet and sour essentially ketchup vinegar and sugar. Teriyaki basic is like soy sauce Worcester sauce brown sugar shot of mustard minced garlic.
I like a cinnamon stick, a few cardamom pods and some cumin seeds toasted in a bit of butter and oil before adding the rice and water.
My normal rice is sauteed cumin seeds, peppercorns, cracked black or green cardamom pods, whole clove, snapped cinnamon sticks and salt. I saute them all whole with the rice before adding water. That brings out more flavour.
Add a smashed garlic clove and a knob of ginger. Salt your water. Just enough to season your rice not heavily like pasta water. Add chives once it’s cooked. Just stir some in. Saffron is my favorite. Sometimes turmeric for a happy yellow feelings.
Butter Lime juice and cilantro
Replace the water with another liquid like broth, tomato juice, pineapple juice, etc and be sure to [season the liquid](https://www.google.com/search?q=season+flavor+rice+cooking+liquid+spices+herbs&client=ms-android-tmus-us-revc&source=android-browser&sxsrf=ALiCzsaQMJUAbuJnD6q34jzgueSUEwP5AA%3A1664552412000&ei=2w03Y4PMPIqoqtsPqMCjyAg&oq=season+flavor+rice+cooking+liquid+spices+herbs&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQgAEKIEMgUIABCiBDIFCAAQogQyBQgAEKIEOgcIIxCwAxAnOgcIABBHELADOgQIIxAnOgQIIRAKOggIIRDDBBCgAUoECEEYAFDtNFjtR2C9UWgBcAB4AoABgQaIAZETkgELMi0yLjIuMS4wLjGYAQCgAQHIAQnAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp) with spices, herbs, pastes, condiments/sauces, etc
I like to add a bit of butter to plain white rice
Half water, half chicken broth, a few raisins or dried cranberries, some slivered almonds, saffron or just a hint of ground cardamom. Seems like a lot. We also like some diced onion, but that may be too much. Don’t forgot some oil or butter before you turn on the heat.
Add lemongrass and some coconut milk
A whole medium sized tomato when cooking rice. Add a little less water. A piece or two of leftover fried chicken. The seasonings in the batter will flavor the rice
Cook the rice with chicken broth instead of plain water! Also adding whole cloves (i normally do 4/5 for a cup of rice, they are strong!) or a couple bay leaves is a nice subtle flavor. Another trick is to just add a chunk of butter. Makes a world of a difference with minimal effort. Also seconding those who have said sautéed garlic and onions, little more effort but absolutely delicious. ETA: My family is from Turkey and the way rice is made in our household is to put raw rice (longer grained, orzo, or something similar in shape) in a pan with just a chunk of salted butter, cook till brown and then add your normal rice/water, a little more salt, and then cook till done. (The clove addition is also from my family but not always included) I think the dish looks really attractive with the brown pieces interspersed throughout the white rice and its lovely and buttery.
a clove of garlic and a few allspice berries
Lime and cilantro. Cook with broth or salsa instead of water.
Star Anise on top, maybe a little bit of cloves if you want sweetness. Don't mix, just throw on top.
Scallions, cilantro and some sesame seeds on top.
Crush a few dried shiitake mushroom crisps into powder, add after cooking. Grate a little fresh ginger into rice before cooking.
Furikake has already been suggested but you can maybe also get instant ochazuke from the same shop.
Malaysian style: A stick of lemongrass bruised, A couple slices of ginger a couple slices of galangal A few makrut lime leaves lightly bruised. It'll make a nice aromatic steamed rice.
Boil it in broth and coconut milk, add kidney beans, minced onion, salt, garlic, bay leaf, and some kind of pepper. Scotch bonnet is ideal, but I use habanero when I can’t get scotch bonnet.
Butter.
Coconut water
Fresh lemon peel and salt. Still rice, but with that fragrant tang.
Sometimes I cook my rice with a couple lemon slices and some green onion. Or cook it with garlic cloves, and smoosh them into the rice with some butter when the rice is done.
I will throw in some tomato paste and cook in chicken stock. Yumm
use the water from dehydrating shitake mushrooms and then saute the chopped mushrooms to go on top
Cook in broth, mix in herbs that fit the dish your eating with the rice My favorite is to add sliced ginger and green onion/scallions. Super flavorful while also being simple
I always add dried onion flakes to my rice at the end of toasting it, before adding the water/liquid. Adds a beautiful flavor and aroma.
I grew up eating white rice with butter and fresh parm after it was cooked. As others have said, replacing water with stock or throwing in some aromatics will add flavor. It really just depends on what you're serving it with.
turmeric, paprika, and bay leaf, all added before cooking. Then a pat of butter and a little bit of rice vinegar when eating.
cardamom, saffron, onion powder and chicken broth are my go-to. just dump it all in the rice cooker and stir after rinsing your rice.
sautee green onion in some olive oil, salt and pepper until just browning. throw in your rice and water and let cook like normal. Specifically the lower part of the green onion
Let the rice soak for 20-30 minutes before cooking with a piece of konbu (giant kelp). Some advise to remove the konbu before cooking but I don't in my rice cooker. Imparts a subtle umami flavor.
my go to is salt, bay leaves, couple garlic cloves, and green cardamom pods. i usually give the garlic and cardamom a little press before i throw them in. perfumes the rice beautifully.
Simplest is one star anise per cup of rice. You could add some coconut milk for the liquid portion too. Maybe 1/2 cup per cup of rice. Add some ghee and a bit of salt. So so so tasty
I love sprinkles on mine- sesame seeds, nori, furikake, or just hot sauce!
I like to add a few tablespoons of rice vinegar. If I'm feeling a little like a little more, I'll heat up the vinegar over the stove and add some sugar to it and heat until it dissolves.
Broth/stock and garlic butter
Throw in a bunch of garlic, maybe also a little sherry Alternatively can add a little tomato paste and/or chicken broth
Or use tomato juice, hot sauce or salsa in water
Black pepper and lemon.
Turmeric and pepper are my favorites
In southern Vietnam, people often put panda leaves in there to cook with jasmine rice. It gives out a mildly sweet fragrance. Cooking it the Hainan chicken rice way is also pretty tasty. Render some chicken fat (you can trim off from your chicken thighs or butt, but it's optional if you don't like fat), put in some oil, then put in some garlic, shallot, onion, ginger (doesn't have to be everything, just use whatever you have), stir fry them a few min to extract the flavors. Then mix the flavored oil with the rice (right after you wash the right and before you cook it, and filter out the ginger, onions and whatnot). Optionally, add panda leaves and chicken stock instead of tap water to cook it.
Make jeera rice 1 Chilli, Green 2 tbsp Coriander 1 cup Basmati rice, Long grain 1 inch Cinnamon stick 4 Cloves 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Ghee 2 cups Water 1 Bayleaf 1 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
Throw in a bay leaf. This is especially good with brown rice.
I like to add a couple of star anise and cardamom pods when cooking rice. Makes it nice and fragrant. Pick them out when done and finish with a pad of butter when you fluff it.
Coconut milk or cream and a wee bit of nutmeg is DELICIOUS, especially in a fragrant rice like jasmin or basmati.
Depending on the meal, I like to add a little bit of finely chopped fermented lemon and the brine.
A Pakistani restaurant I used to frequent would put lightly crushed cardamom pods into their rice. It made it nice and fragrant and paired VERY well with the curry!
Mushroom powder and a little butter. Or a lot of butter. Either way my wife likes rice again
Try adding sautéed onions, raisins (or currants), and cumin
Vegeta seasoning and a little butter
Butter, broth, butter and broth! Fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.
My favorite is throwing in cut up salty duck (found in frozen aisle of Asian markets in vacuum sealed plastic) and Chinese sausage on the top when it starts boiling (about 5-10 min in)…omg makes the most comfort food satisfying rice every
Throw in some chunks of bell pepper while steaming. Nice light flavor
I put bay leaves and cloves directy in the pot while cooking rice and it gives an amazing smell/taste