Brown rice in a crockpot?
Posted by GFVegmom on Sep 30, 2009 · Member since Sep 2008 · 565 posts
I usually bake it in the oven (no rice cooker), but A) need/want to make a huge batch of rice, about 3 lbs raw and B) it takes 75 min for a small batch to bake in the oven, and since I have little kids, I have to live in the kitch while the oven is on. And I really don't want to camp in the kitch all day.
So, can I cook the rice in a slow cooker (crockpot)?
You can cook it in a big pot on the stove.
You will need 2 parts water to 1 part brown rice.
Put the water in the pot first, bring to a boil, add the rice, when it comes to a boil again, bring heat to low, cook covered for 45-50 minutes.
You may wish to add a little oil or salt to the water, but it's not necessary.
I've only ever steamed rice. But I'm curious, how do you bake rice in an oven? And why would you do that instead of steaming it?
Here are a couple of links:
Recipe Tips Slow Cooker Rice
cooks.com slow cooker rice
I've never had good luck steaming/boiling brown rice, and I've tried every ratio of rice to water there is. It always comes out gluey and gummy. I found a recipe for baking brown rice in a Cook's Illustrated mag, and it works great. I tweaked the process a little, but we like it so much better, and I do white rice this way too. It comes out perfect and fluffy, no goo in sight.
I cook a pound at a time, in a 9 by 13 pyrex dish. Rinse the rice till the water is clear, this takes longer with white rice. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees, pour washed rice into dish, and add approx double the amt of water. add a splash of EVOO or EB (you can omit if you want), and cover with foil, and place in the oven for about one hour. The white rice cooks a little quicker and takes slightly less water, I never really measure.
In my house, with three little ones and two of them special needs, cooking in the oven is safer than the stove top, where stuff can be reached too easily.
That's very interesting, GFMom. You sound like a good safe Mommy, with all those little ones running around,you can't be too careful! Thanks for answering my question.
Lily Roze