Basic-ass Japanese-style boiled rice

Put the rice in a measuring jar.

• Optional step for extra fluff: Add water, mix with a chopstick, and use a sieve to drain the now white ricewater. Let the washed rice rest wet for at least 5 minutes (more is ok).

Meanwhile, take note of how much volume the rice is taking. Boil the same volume of water in the kettle. For example, if the rice is hitting 600mL in the measuring cup, boil 600mL water.

With the help of a spoon, transfer the rice to a large, coated pot. Add a bit of the hot water on the jar to help remove the sticky grains, then add all the water to the rice pot.

Turn up the heat until the water starts to boil, then turn down to a low heat. You want a simmer: no big bubbles, but clearly boiling. Cover with a lid.

Set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes and leave the rice in peace for these 10 minutes.

When the timer rings, use a wooden spoon to scoop the bottom of the pan. If everything went correctly, the bottom should have just evaporated the water:

• If there's still water, turn heat to max, remove lid, and stay around checking until it's dried.
• If the rice is burnt, remove from the heat immediatelly. Usually the burnt taste doesn't transfer and you can still eat it except the bottom layer.
• Next time, adjust the heat accordingly.

After that, turn off the stove, use the wooden spoon to mix and fluff the rice, then cover it completely, and leave it on the stove plate (that's still warm). Put the timer for 5 more minutes of rest. Rice is done!

How much rice do I make?

This for me has been enough to have leftovers for the fridge:

• For 1 person: 300mL
• For 3~4 people: 500 to 600mL
• For 6~7 people: a bit over 1L (one whole 1kg package)

Adding interest

Japanese-style rice is, by design, perfectly neutral. That means it goes with everything, and you can add seasoned food, sauces etc. aftwards and mix.

If you want the rice to be by itself more interesting, it's easy to improvise. You can add salt (be cautious!), MSG, garlic/onions, yeast flakes and other basic seasonings; or aromatic herbs; or vegetables to cook together with the rice, or mushrooms, etc. etc.

Brazilian twist on Japanese rice

While the wet rice is resting, warm up the pot, add some oil, and use it to fry garlic and salt (the ready-made "tempero" paste is convenient for this). Then add the raw, wet rice directly on the oil, and stir-fry it for a few minutes. Before the rice starts to toast, add the hot water on top of everything, bring it to a boil, and proceed as before. If you have fresh spring onions and/or parsley, you can add the greens with the hot water to cook together with the rice.