Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you wash rice before making pilaf? ›

* Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This will get rid of surface starch that would make the rice pilaf gummy. * Add ingredients like minced onion and garlic. This will add to the flavor of the rice pilaf, but make sure they are minced, you want them the same size as the individual grains of rice.

Rinse the wild rice in a strainer under cool tap water. In a saucepot, place the rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until rice grains burst open and puff open.

The pilaf method is similar to the steaming method; however, the rice or grain is first sautéed, often with aromatics, before any liquid is added. For this reason, pilafs are highly flavorful.

Washing rice removes some of the starch, and allows the grains to be individuals when cooked. It will be sticky if you don't wash it.

Recent studies have also discovered that, as it is grown, rice can pick up arsenic that is found naturally in soil. Arsenic is an element that can exist in soil, water, plants, animals, and the air. It can be toxic when consumed in large amounts. Some experts suggested rinsing in order to remove the arsenic.

Place wild rice, water (or stock), and salt in a saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Put the lid on and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let is simmer for 40-45 minutes. You will know that it is cooked when some of the kernels are burst open.

The wild rice grains will pop open when they're done and will have a chewy “al dente” feel when you taste it. You don't want any crunch left, but also don't want it to be mushy. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat and leave the wild rice covered for an additional 15 minutes.

1 Cup Wild Rice. 1-2 cups water (texture will be par-cooked with 1 cup of water, very soft with 2 cups- I prefer 1 ½ cups of water for slightly chewy 'al dente' rice) ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Too much water

Different types of rice have different rice-to-water ratios. If you don't use the appropriate amount, then your rice will turn out mushy.

Brown rice is not polished, so there is no need to rinse it. White water does not come out even if you rinse brown rice.

Do Chinese wash rice before cooking? ›

Rice is a staple food in most Asian households and, for the most part, people cook it exactly the same way. You wash the rice, put it in a pot, fill it with water (guided by the “first knuckle method”), cook on a stove or rice cooker, and wait until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

To Rinse or Not to Rinse Rice

While we've mentioned before that this dessert gets its perfectly creamy texture from the starch that is released when the grains are cooking, we do suggest a rinse for this recipe in order to wash off excess debris and added starch.