Rice is cooked by boiling or steaming and becomes soft through the absorption of hot water. The rice grains soak up water from the cooking pot until they are saturated. The excess cooking water is then poured off.

 

There are electric rice cookers that are popular in Asia and South America and make cooking rice much easier.

Before cooking, the rice is soaked in cold water for about 30 to 60 minutes. The cold water is then rinsed off. This process also washes out small particles of rice dust, which can make the rice water milky and the rice slimy. One and a half cups of water are needed to cook each cup of rice. Brown rice requires two cups of water per cup of rice.
Bring the water with the rice to the boil over a medium heat, cover and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. The water must boil properly as the hot water vapour is more easily absorbed by the rice grains. After boiling, switch off the hob and leave the pan covered for a further 5 minutes. As some types of rice need to be cooked for longer, you should test whether the rice is soft enough and heat for a little longer if necessary.

To prevent the rice from becoming sticky, you can heat it in oil before cooking or add a little oil to the cooking water.
No salt is required in the cooking water for cooking. After cooking, the rice can be flavoured as desired. For more flavour, the rice can be cooked in chicken or vegetable stock.