Some people don’t have problems with rice, but you can always spot the ones who do: every time they open the lid, the rice is either too soggy or too raw. Soggy rice is clumpy, dense, and unpleasantly sticky. Undercooked rice feels coarse and uncooked, and may be crunchy or chalky. When you open the lid and find either of these, you might despair and think the pot is ruined. Both of these situations are actually pretty easy to fix, though. Rice texture is governed by the ratio of water to rice, the temperature, and the amount of time you leave the rice alone. If it’s soggy, it’s because there was too much water and/or too much heat and/or you didn’t leave it alone long enough. If it’s raw, it’s because there was not enough water and/or not enough heat and/or you didn’t leave it alone long enough.
If the rice is soggy, you can try spreading it out in a thin layer on a large plate or tray as soon as it’s done. This will help any excess steam to dissipate instead of building up and making the rice all mushy. Let it sit for a few minutes, then gently fluff it with a fork to separate the clumps. If you need some practice, try cooking some of the mushy rice in a pan over low heat. It shouldn’t have any liquid at all, or it will just stay mushy. As the rice cooks, the water will evaporate and the rice will regain some of its structure. It’s not perfect, but it’s a great exercise. Fifteen minutes of practice like this and you will be an expert.
If the rice is undercooked, you can simply close the lid and add a bit more water to the pot. Not much, just a splash, which is far less than you used in the first place. Close the lid and put it back on the lowest heat possible. You want to just barely warm it; if the heat is too high, the bottom will burn while the inside is still crunchy. Let it sit for a few minutes, then pull it off the heat but leave the lid on. The trapped steam should finish the cooking for you. The worst thing you can do here is keep opening the lid to peek inside, because this lets the steam out and slows everything down. Just leave it alone and trust that it will work.
Another thing not to do is stir the rice roughly after it’s cooked. You will break the grains and release the starch, which makes them all clumpy and sticky. Instead, use a fork to gently turn the rice from the bottom, gently lifting the grains so they are all evenly heated but not damaged. If you do all of this and the rice still tastes terrible, sprinkle a little bit of salt over it dissolved in a tiny bit of water. Fluff gently to distribute the salt, and try to taste. A little salt makes a big difference.
All of these tricks will teach you how to manipulate the rice to get the right texture. The methods are simple, but they impart some key knowledge about how rice works that will serve you well in all your other rice-cooking pursuits, from pilafs to fried rice to grain salads. Instead of throwing away the rice when it doesn’t turn out right, try these fixes as experiments to learn how to do better next time. Eventually you will listen to the sound of the simmering pot and know if the rice needs a bit longer, a bit less water, or just a bit more patience. With practice, rice will go from being a frustrating staple to a comforting routine.