White Rice
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One of the things I always do on this blog is question every step of a recipe or method. Can it be skipped? Can it be simplified? If it can’t, I want to know exactly why. For my ADHD brain, knowing the reason is often the only way to actuallt make myself want to do it.
Batch cooked rice is a good example of this in action. There are steps I cut, steps I keep, and steps I do differently to most people. It might ruffle some feathers but I have my reasons, and they always lead back to my ADHD. So before we get into the method, here’s the thinking behind it.
The reason I always wash my rice
Arsenic. It’s a naturally occurring heavy metal that accumulates in the body over time with repeated exposure. One bowl of rice won’t harm you, but if you eat rice frequently it’s worth taking the extra step.
There’s a growing body of research suggesting a link between heavy metal exposure and neurological function. Some studies have found higher levels of certain heavy metals in people with ADHD compared to neurotypical individuals. Whether that’s cause, effect, or correlation is still being studied. But when you already have a brain that works differently, minimising extra load to your neurological system just makes sense. I’ve long ditched the “holistic non-tox living” culture and distanced myself from a lot of “crunchy” content. But in this case, it’s one of the things that stuck with me.
I put the rice in a sieve, place it over my saucepan, fill with cold water, and swish it around. Then pour it off, and repeat once or twice until the water is mostly clear. I find that’s the easiest way to judge it, rinsing under running water alone I can never quite tell. Once it looks mostly clear I give it a final rinse then transfer it straight to the pot.
What kind of rice
I use basmati. It’s the only one I’d recommend if you want a simple, versatile option you don’t have to think about. It’s cheap, easy to find in large quantities, and keeps for a long time in your pantry. I buy the biggest bag I can get on my Morrisons delivery. Then I won’t have to think about buying it again for months. It’s the perfect choice for batch cooked rice.
Why I batch cook my rice pasta style
Most recipes will tell you to use a precise ratio of water to rice (usually around 1:1.5). They’ll instruct you to use the absorption method where the rice soaks up every drop. I don’t do that, and it ties back to the same reason I wash the rice thoroughly: arsenic.
Washing can only remove so much. Cooking rice in a lot of water and draining reduces arsenic more effectively than absorption cooking. When you use just enough water and let it all absorb, anything in that water stays in the rice. With the pasta method, you pour a lot of it away.
It’s also significantly more forgiving for an ADHD brain. A lot less pitfalls from avoiding burned rice to ending up with mush! I just cook it in plenty of water, set a timer and drain it when it’s done.
My ADHD impatience kettle hack 😬
Before adding the rice, I get the water up to temperature faster by using my kettle. I first add an inch of water to the pan and put it on high heat. While the base of the pot warms up, I boil a full kettle, then pour the boiling water in. It sounds like a small thing but it cuts the time significantly. And it means I’m not standing around waiting for a cold pan of water to come to the boil.
⚠️ One thing worth noting: if the 1 inch of water has started simmering, take it off the heat. Pouring boiling water in can cause it to boil up violently. You want the pan hot enough to keep things moving, not so hot it’s already simmering. Just remove from the heat, pour boiling water in, and return. Once it resumes boiling you can start the timer.
Freezing and reheating batch cooked rice
When the rice is done, I drain it through my sieve and run cold water through it immediately. This cools it down fast and stops it cooking further. I set the sieve back over the pan to drain while I get my freezer trays ready.
I spoon the rice into my 1 cup silicone tray, add a teaspoon of water to each portion and freeze. To reheat, I just microwave straight from frozen for 2-3 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through.
Pair this with ratatouile, beef mince sauce, or my sliced deli chicken. I’m still writing up more meal component recipes so stay tuned!
White Rice
Equipment
- 1 x 1 Cup Silicone Freezer Trays
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- Water for cooking no measuring needed
- 4 teaspoons water for freezing
Instructions
- Put the rice in a sieve over your saucepan, fill with cold water, swish around and pour off. Repeat once or twice until the water runs mostly clear, then finish with a final rinse under the tap and transfer to your pot.
- Add an inch of cold water to the pot and put on a high heat.
- Boil the kettle. Once the base of the pot is hot, pour boiling water over the rice until it's generously covered.
- Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pan. Once it comes to the boil, reduce to a medium heat and set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Drain through a sieve and run immediately under cold water to cool. Set the sieve back over the pot to drain while you prepare your freezer trays.
- Spoon into 1 cup silicone tray cavities, add a teaspoon of water to each portion and freeze.
- To reheat, microwave straight from frozen for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
