Budgeting Tips to Get out of Debt and Build Wealth

Last time I made brown rice, it turned out pretty much like wet cement.  It was still edible (heaven knows on this budget I better not throw away food if I can possibly avoid it!).  At least if it were mixed in with something else (beans, salsa, cheese) it was okay.  But it did have kind of a “watery” flavor to it, and I thought longingly of the fluffy rice that was produced when I nuked the pre-packaged Steamfresh kind.  Can’t justify the cost of that, so I must learn how to make it right from scratch!

I started with a cheap little bag of brown rice  (about 4 cups) and washed it.  To do this, I put it in a bowl and let the water run, swishing the rice around with my hand to kick out some of the debris.  After several minutes of this I poured it into a mesh strainer and gave it a little more rinsing.

Then I spread it out on a baking sheet and stuck it in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring it every now and then:

According to this site, toasting the brown rice makes it cook faster when steamed, and gives the rice a nutty flavor.  It certainly gave off a scent (sort of a mild, sweet scent) while toasting.

In the meantime, I measured 6 cups of water into a pot.  I poured in the rice, added some salt (maybe a couple teaspoonfuls) and brought it to a boil.  I then turned it down, let it simmer for 45 minutes, keeping an eye on the water level.  I thought I would have to add more water, but I think it actually was slightly more water than I needed.  Judging how much water to use is the hardest part!  There is no straightforward formula when you’re making a big batch of brown rice. One cup of rice, easy, add 2 cups water.  But you can’t just multiply that 1:2 ratio out as you go bigger.  You have to reduce the proportion of water to rice considerably.

This was how it looked when finished cooking:

It was definitely not possible to “fluff” the rice, but at least individual grains were discernible, and it did not taste watery.

So finally, it was time for a nice frugal meal.  (Well not strictly frugal, I suppose I could have skipped the cheese.)

Just add salsa, and maybe splurge on some Mission tortilla chips (on sale at our Wal-mart for $1.98 right now), what a nice comfort-food kind of meal.

When I am someday “living like no one else,” I think I will invest in a rice cooker.

Posted By: Frugal Cooking, Frugal Living - Reducing Spending by Darcy