How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time: All Varieties Explained

Rice grains are composed primarily of two forms of starch: amylose and amylopectin. The ratio between these two starches largely determines the texture of cooked rice. Long-grain varieties like basmati and jasmine have higher amylose content, which means the starch granules swell and separate cleanly during cooking, producing fluffy, distinct grains. Short-grain varieties like arborio (used for risotto) and Japanese sushi rice have higher amylopectin content, which produces a sticky, creamy texture as the starch gelatinises and releases into the surrounding liquid.

Understanding this starch chemistry explains why the same water ratio and technique cannot be applied universally across varieties. It also explains why washing rice matters for some varieties but not others: washing removes surface starch (damaged starch from milling), which can create excess gumminess in varieties where separation is desired. For sticky rice applications, you do not wash — or you wash less thoroughly — to preserve that surface starch. Finally, resting time after cooking is not optional: it allows moisture to redistribute through the grain, steam remaining water from the surface, and the starch structure to set into a coherent texture.

Jasmine rice, the fragrant long-grain variety central to Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine, is best cooked using the absorption method with a water ratio of 1:1.5 (one cup rice to one and a half cups water). Rinse jasmine rice two to three times in cold water until it runs mostly clear — this removes excess surface starch and helps achieve separate, non-gluey grains while preserving the characteristic soft, slightly sticky texture that distinguishes it from basmati.

Method: bring rice and cold water to the boil together, add a pinch of salt, reduce to the lowest possible heat, cover tightly, and cook for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid during cooking — every peek releases steam and cools the pot, disrupting the process. After 12 minutes, remove from heat and rest, lid on, for a further 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Generic long-grain white rice follows the same method but typically requires a 1:1.75 water ratio and 15 minutes of cooking time. The key to both is maintaining a very low simmer after boiling — high heat causes the bottom to scorch before the top is cooked.

Basmati is the longest-grain rice variety and, when cooked correctly, produces the most dramatically separate, fluffy grains of any rice. The secret is soaking: soak basmati in cold water for 20–30 minutes before cooking. This pre-hydrates the grains so they cook more evenly and elongate fully during cooking rather than swelling outward and becoming sticky. Rinse thoroughly before soaking to remove surface starch.

Water ratio for soaked basmati: 1:1.5 (for unsoaked, increase to 1:1.75). Bring water to the boil, add the drained soaked rice and a generous pinch of salt, stir once, reduce to the lowest heat, and cover tightly. Cook for exactly 10 minutes (12 minutes if unsoaked). Remove from heat, rest for 10 minutes with the lid on, then fluff with a fork. For a restaurant-quality result, toast the dry rice in a little oil or butter for two minutes before adding water — this coats each grain and further promotes separation.

Brown rice retains its bran layer and germ, making it nutritionally superior to white rice — higher in fibre, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants — but this same bran layer acts as a barrier that slows water absorption and requires longer cooking. Brown rice takes 40–50 minutes versus 12–15 minutes for white rice, and requires more water.

Water ratio: 1:2 to 1:2.25. Method: bring water to the boil, add rice and a generous pinch of salt, reduce to a low simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 40–45 minutes without lifting the lid. Rest for 10–15 minutes before fluffing. Brown rice benefits enormously from soaking (overnight or for at least two hours) which reduces cooking time to around 25–30 minutes and improves digestibility by reducing phytic acid content.

For other whole-grain varieties: wild rice (technically a grass seed) requires a 1:3 ratio and 45–55 minutes cooking. Red rice and black rice follow similar parameters to brown rice. Farro and pearl barley — technically not rice but commonly used as substitutes — cook similarly in salted boiling water and can be treated like pasta.

Sushi rice is a specific preparation of Japanese short-grain rice (koshihikari is the most prized variety) seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. The starch profile of short-grain Japanese rice gives it that characteristic slight stickiness — essential for nigiri and maki — without becoming gluey. Wash sushi rice four to five times until the water is nearly clear.

Water ratio: 1:1.1 (slightly less water than most rice, as you will be adding the vinegar seasoning which provides additional moisture). Cook using the absorption method: cold rice and cold water, bring to the boil, reduce to very low heat, cover and cook 12 minutes, then rest 15 minutes. While resting, warm rice vinegar, sugar, and salt (for 300 g dry rice: 60 ml rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tsp fine salt) and dissolve the sugar. Spread the cooked rice in a wide, shallow dish (traditionally a wooden hangiri), pour the seasoning over gradually while folding — not stirring — with a flat spatula. Fan the rice simultaneously to cool it rapidly. The fanning-and-folding gives sushi rice its characteristic glossy appearance.

Arborio, carnaroli, and vialone nano are the three principal risotto rice varieties, all characterised by very high amylopectin content. Unlike every other rice in this guide, risotto rice is not cooked by the absorption method — the gradual addition of hot stock, combined with constant stirring, is what creates the characteristic creamy texture. Stirring breaks down the surface of the rice grain, releasing amylopectin starch into the liquid around it, creating a natural, creamy emulsion without any added cream.

Method: toast dry arborio in butter or olive oil for 2 minutes until the grain becomes slightly translucent at the edges. Add white wine and stir until absorbed. Add hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly and adding the next ladle only when the previous one is fully absorbed. After 18–20 minutes, the rice should be al dente — still with a slight bite at the centre — with a flowing, creamy consistency. Remove from heat, add cold butter cubed and grated parmesan (mantecatura), fold vigorously, rest one minute covered, then serve immediately. Risotto waits for no one — it thickens and stiffens as it cools.