RICE TO THE OCCASION

WE SEE you, rice – always reliable and never uitgevriet vir aandag.

Most of the time, when you open the cupboard, you glance at the rice but don’t really see it. It’s just the same old ingredient: plain white, cooked to death in a pot of water, fluffy if lucky and served with gravy.

And let’s be honest – it seems a bit boring.

But nee, Cooksisters, you’ve got it wrong. It’s not rice that’s vervelig – it’s you.

Not this week though! We’re giving rice its glow-up moment with dishes that are easy, exciting, and anything but basic.

Often the humble sidekick on many plates, rice rarely takes the spotlight.

But from elegant mains to simple showstoppers, we’re here to prove that rice is more than just a daily staple – it’s a star, if you let it shine.

There’s more to rice than just the plain white kind – from long, fragrant basmati to sticky, soft varieties, each type brings its own flavour and texture to the table.

Now that rice has your attention, let’s make sure you’re cooking it right. Here are some tried-and-tested rice hacks to keep it fluffy, lekker, and far from boring rice recipes.

Rice Cooking Hacks

1. Rinse that rice well: Give your rice a good rinse in cold water before cooking. It helps wash away the starch so your rice won’t get sticky or clumpy.

2. Use a pot with a tight lid: Cover the pot properly so the steam cooks the rice evenly. If you don’t have a tight lid, cover with foil or a clean cloth to trap the steam.

3. Add a pinch of salt or a stock cube: Sprinkle a little salt or crumble in a stock cube while cooking to give your rice more flavour.

4. Cook on low heat: Once it starts boiling, lower the heat to let it cook slowly. This way the rice cooks well without burning or sticking.

5. Don’t stir too much: After covering the pot, avoid stirring the rice while it cooks – it breaks the grains and makes it mushy.

6. Rest before serving: After cooking, switch off the heat and leave the rice to rest with the lid on for five minutes. It firms up grains and soaks any leftover moisture.

Biryani Upside Down Rice Cake (pictured above)

Ingredients

1 cup yoghurt

4 tbsp chicken stock

1 egg

Salt to taste

30ml olive oil

20g butter

2 onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp turmeric

1 Tbsp curry powder

4 chicken breasts, cubed and seasoned

300g Spekko India Gate Basmati Rice, rinsed well

85g raisins

750ml chicken stock (or as needed)

For the garnish:

Coriander

Flaked almonds

Method

Mix the yoghurt, 4 teaspoons chicken stock, 1 egg and salt together.

Heat half of the olive oil and half of the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon and bay leaves. Sauté until soft. Stir often.

Then add the turmeric, curry powder and chicken pieces. Sauté until just cooked through.

Add the rice and raisins. Mix through well. Add the stock and simmer until the rice is cooked and liquid is reduced. Once cooked, stir through the yoghurt mixture.

Grease a non-stick pan. Over a low heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter.

Once hot, add the rice mixture and press down firmly. Cover the dish with a tea towel and then the lid. Steam for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and rest the bottom of the pan in cold water. This will loosen the rice.

Turn the pan upside down onto a board and tip the biryani rice cake out. Serve the biryani hot, garnished with coriander and flaked almonds.

Crispy Arancini Bites with Brie Served with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

For the brown butter risotto

3 cups good quality chicken or vegetable stock

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup Spekko Long Grain Parboiled Rice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

For the arancini

1 block Brie cheese (15 small cubes)

1 cup wheat cake flour

3 eggs (whisked)

3 cups panko breadcrumbs

To serve

Cranberry sauce

Fresh sage

Method

To make the risotto

Heat the chicken stock in a pot until steaming. You don’t need it to simmer, just steam.

In another pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Stir frequently, and in less than one minute the butter will begin to brown. (Be careful not to burn the butter). As soon as the butter starts to brown, add the rice.

Simmer the rice in the butter, stirring frequently for 1 minute. You want the rice to brown evenly so slightly.

Use a ladle to spoon the warm stock over the rice until the broth just covers the top of the risotto. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the rice absorbs all of the stock.

Pour more stock over the rice, until it is just submerged. Let the stock simmer until it is all absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process adding stock a total of four times, adding salt as you go. 

Taste test the rice after adding stock three times, to see if you need to add it a fourth time. You want the risotto to be soft, but with a little bit of chewiness in the centre.

Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

Place in a shallow dish and set aside, once cool put in the fridge and leave until complete chilled.

To make the arancini

Weigh out 15 x 30g balls from the cooled risotto.

Flatten the balls and place the cubes of brie in the middle of the risotto and then roll back into even balls.

Put the flour, egg and bread crumbs into separate bowls. Dip each ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. (repeat the egg and breadcrumb step for a double coating).

Fry in a deep fat fryer at 160 °C until the balls are golden brown. Rest on paper towels and season with salt.

Serve immediately with cranberry sauce and garnish with sage.

Turkish Chicken and Rice Pie

Ingredients

1 ready-roasted chicken

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup Spekko Long Grain Parboiled Rice

¾ cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

¾ cup sultanas

3 cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp roughly chopped parsley

6 sheets phyllo pastry

Method

Shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Set aside.

In a pan, heat the butter and olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice, almonds and sultanas and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and parsley to the rice and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and grease a large six-cup muffin tin.

Brush each phyllo sheet with melted butter and cut each piece into four pieces. Line each muffin cup with the phyllo and evenly spoon the mixture into each.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until golden.

Zesty Lemon Rice Pudding

Ingredients

550 ml milk

2 cups cream

Zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp brown sugar

100 g Spekko Saman White Rice

2 Tbsp butter

To drizzle

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp castor sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Chocolate ice cream for serving

Method

Heat the oven to 140 °C and grease a shallow oven-proof dish.

Put the milk, cream and lemon zest into a pan and gently bring to a simmer. Stir in the brown sugar, rice and butter.

Transfer to the dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir well then bake for a further hour, until a thick and a golden top has formed.

Close to the end of baking, make the lemon drizzle by whisking the ingredients together.

When the rice pudding comes out of the oven, pour over the lemon drizzle and serve hot, topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.