Jasmine Rice Cracker Recipes

JASMINE RICE CRACKER

Steps:

• Wash rice in 3 or 4 changes of cold water in a large bowl, then drain well in a large sieve and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add 2 1/2 cups water and table salt and boil, uncovered, without stirring, until steam holes appear on surface of rice and grains on top appear dry, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to as low as possible, then cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook 15 minutes more.
• Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff rice with a fork. Transfer to a bowl and cool to warm.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan.
• Press rice evenly into baking pan with lightly oiled hands. Put pan in oven and reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake rice until dry, about 3 hours. Cool completely in pan on a rack, then break into 2- to 3-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in a deep 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry pieces of rice in batches of 4 to 6, turning over once, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.) Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with fleur de sel.

JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Put the rice in a medium pot with 3 cups of water. Gently swirl your fingers in the pot to allow the starch to separate from the grains. Once the water becomes white, tilt the pot over the sink to drain out the water. Be careful not to let your rice go into the sink. Repeat this process twice more. With each time, the water will get less cloudy. The idea is not to get rid of all the starch, just enough so that the rice will not be too sticky or too dry when cooked. After you have drained the rice the third time, add remaining 1 3/4 cup clean water. Swirl you fingers in the pot once to ensure the rice is leveled and place the lid on the pot. Cook the rice over medium heat, stir the rice with a wooden spoon a few times, then let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice: Place rice in a fine-mesh strainer set inside a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough cool tap water to cover the rice by an inch or two. Use your hand to gently stir the rice, 30-40 seconds; then lift the strainer from the bowl. The water in the bowl will be cloudy from the rice starch. Empty the water, set the strainer in the bowl again, and repeat the process until the water that covers the rice is mostly clear (probably two or three changes of water); the rice grains will begin to look translucent. Discard the water in the bowl; set the strainer on top and let the rice drain, about 5 minutes, gently shaking the strainer occasionally to get rid of excess water.
• Cook rice: Place the drained rice into the rice cooker in an even layer. Add 2 cups water; the level should be close to an inch above the rice (or the height of one knuckle above your forefinger). Add more water to reach this marker if necessary. Close the lid and turn rice cooker on; rice is done when indicated by the rice cooker. Once done, let the rice sit in the rice cooker with the cover on for about 15-20 minutes. Don't skip this step: it allows some of the moisture to dissipate as steam, and some to get reabsorbed into the rice. This keeps the rice from clumping and gives the grains a chance to cool slightly, so when you fluff the rice, the grains don't break apart.
• Fluff rice: Open the rice cooker and use a spoon or fork to gently separate and fluff the cooked grains. The rice will keep for several hours after fluffing in the rice cooker on the "Warm" setting. To serve, pack a small bowl with rice, level off the top, and turn it over onto a plate; lift the bowl away to uncover a tidy dome of rice. (Store leftover cooked rice in a covered container in the refrigerator, 1-2 days.)