How to Cook Delicious Burn-Free Rice

Without an electric rice cooker, you know how easy it is to burn rice if you're not careful enough.

Typically, after all the water has evaporated way, it is just a few minutes and the rice is done. However, neglecting this crucial period will result in overcooking and overcooked rice mean burned rice.


Burned rice. Ugh. You know that distinct smell when rice burns when cooking it. When taken off the pot, this is the bottom part of the cooked rice that looks brownish. It won’t kill you, but this part is usually tougher to chew and tastes, well, burned. So how do prevent rice from burning easily especially when you’re not there to constantly watch over it? The effective yet cheap solution? Banana leaves! Okay, wise guy, this post won’t obviously apply to those who use an electric rice cooker.

Anyway, here’s what to do:

1. Get your normal cooking pot for rice like the one shown below:
   
   
   
2. Estimate the bottom circle of the pot and cut a piece of the clean leaf to snugly fit in the bottom as shown below.
   
   
   
3. Here’s the piece of the banana leaf in place.
   
   
   
4. You may also opt to use 2 pieces, one crossing the other as shown below.
   
   
   
5. Put the rice in as you would normally. If you choose to wash the rice prior to cooking, then wash the rice first in another container.
   
   
   
6. Cook the rice as usual.

The added bonus using the banana leaf is the aroma that comes from the banana leaf itself. Hmmm. Happy Eating!