Seriously! What is all the fuss about? Since owning a Thermomix I have had perfect rice, every type of rice, every time. Not that I struggled to cook rice BTM (before Thermomix) as I always used the absorption method. I’m not sure how you can get it wrong, (no judgement) but I do have a few tips that may help you along the way. If you do these few things you can cook perfect rice every time in your Thermomix.

For starters, can I just say that try to get organic rice, it is readily available now in most super markets and even thought it is a little bit more expensive, it is still a cheap meal. Growing rice is very labour intensive and relies on lots of rain. Because of technological advances, they can now spray rice with chemicals and chemical fertilisers so rice doesn’t require soil that is as rich in nutrients and doesn’t need as much water to grow! So organic also means that you are not ingesting all those chemical that they spray onto rice.

Some people bring up the issue that the most common nasty found in rice is arsenic. Now there is some pretty scary stuff out there in internet land about the amount of arsenic in rice, yes even in organic rice. As organic rice still sucks up arsenic from the ground (and the levels are higher in Brown rice than white because it still has it “skin” on it) and uses it why growing. But Rice is a bit of a staple and we generally all eat it, so choose organic if you can!

Now that I have put you off eating rice at all, you won’t need to know how to cook it! LOL!

500g of Basmati rice cooked in the TM5 then turn upside down in the ThermoServer and left for 5 – 10 minutes. (with the lid on obviously so it stay hot and continues to steam)

TIP  – After measuring white rice into the basket, make sure you run the tap and wash the rice thoroughly, scrunching it in your hands. Keep doing this until the water runs clear, as demonstrated below with the brown rice.

TIP – Soaking rice (white and brown)  in water will always help with even cooking and get rid of some more arsenic from the rice when rinsed. I normally use 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water to soak. Even an hour is beneficial.

What ever rice you are cooking make sure it is completely wet before cooking.

TIP – Treat brown rice the same as white, make sure you wash it thoughtfully before use. You won’t have cloudy water, but if you are not soaking make sure all the rice is wet

NOW TO THE COOKING

White Rice = Basmati, Long Grain, Short grain, Medium Grain, Jasmine even Arborio, if you have run out of rice and are desperate are all cooked at the same time, temperature and speed. Thermomix recipes now say 20 minutes/100°/speed 4, but when I started thermomix in 2014 it was a different time and temperature and I think it still cooks better and you can also use your Varoma to steam some eggs and or veggies and chicken all at the same time. All rice absorbs water differently, so once you find out how long the rice you buy takes to cook you are set (is this why the 2 minute time difference)

TM31 = 1000g of water,  Cook 14-16 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

TM5 and TM6 = 1200g of water, Cook 14-16 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

500g of cooked Basmati Rice, See it is over the limit and you probably shouldn’t cook that much, (Don’t tell Thermomix) but in the ThermoServer for 5 minutes and its perfect 🙂

Brown Rice = Brown Rice 🙂
As with white rice don’t forget that all rice absorbs water differently, so once you find out how long the rice you buy takes to cook you are set (is this why the 5 minute time difference)

TM31 = 1000g of water,  Cook 30 – 35 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

TM5 and TM6 = 1200g of water, Cook 30 – 35 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

500g of Organic Brown Rice, Cooked

It doesn’t matter how much rice you put in 200g or 500g** do it the same!

I always cook brown rice on Varoma and also cook vegetables and chicken in the Varoma at the same time. It is a great way to cook Chicken for sandwiches and lunches the next day, or veggies for dinner.

I also always make the largest amount of brown rice as I love having left overs to make my Brown Rice Salad

**I am always pushing the boundaries when it comes to the thermomix and Thermomix recommend not more than 400g of rice in your basket because it may block the hole. You will find that if you are cooking 500g of White rice in your TM5 or 450g in your TM31, sometimes the rice on the top of the basket may not be as cooked as well as the rice on the bottom. I tip my rice into the ThermoServer so the rice that was on the top is now on the bottom and visa versa. I then leave the rice in the ThermoServer for at least 10 minutes and find that the rice is perfect, even when cooking these larger amounts.

TM31 I cook up to 450g (not recommended by Thermomix) of white and brown rice, with the same amount of water as stated above.

TM5 I cook up to 500g (not recommended by Thermomix) of  white and brown rice, with the same amount of water stated above.

TM6 I cook up to 500g (not recommended by Thermomix) of white and brown rice, with the same amount of water stated above.

Wild Rice
Needs to be treated the same as Brown, make sure it is wet, but cook for a shorter amount of time but no more than 300g at a time.

TM31 = 1000g of water,  Cook 25 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

TM5 and TM6 = 1200g of water, Cook 25 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

Quinoa
You will need to wash your quinoa, and make sure it is all wet (please note you will lose a bit through the holes in the basket when rinsing, but it isn’t that much) and cook, but no more than 400g of quinoa.

TM31 = 1000g of water,  Cook 16 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

TM5 and TM6 = 1200g of water, Cook 16 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

TM6 = 1200g of water, Cook 16 minutes/Varoma/speed 4.

I have just been made aware of a fantastic recipe on the community for white rice that uses boiled water from the kettle and takes half the time (11 minutes). So if you need white rice in a hurry this is the recipe for you. You will still need to wash your rice as stated above!

Perfect Rice by Ford Girl

Well I hope that this has been a little helpful. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think or if there is anything that you would like me to give you tips about!

Thanks for reading!

Liz xx

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Elizabeth Connolly

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I have been cooking since I can remember. I am a Thermomix consultant, so now (whenever possible) try to give you Conventional AND Thermomix methods for the recipes. I like to share tips on how to save money and how making food from scratch isn't really that hard (especially with a Thermomix). If you have any questions about the Thermomix or cooking/food in general please email me as I'm happy to chat.
Liz xx
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