How to prevent your rice from going gluggy ever again

While some of us have mastered the art of cooking rice, many of us are faced with rice that resembles clag paste more so than it does fluffy goodness.

Let’s stop the glug.

Rice is something we (basically) all eat. For some, it’s a mandatory side to every. Single. Meal. And while some of us have mastered the art of cooking rice, many of us are faced with rice that resembles clag paste more so than it does fluffy rice.

So today, we’re going to stop the glug and learn how to cook the fluffiest rice the world has ever seen.

Why is my rice gluggy?

Gluggy rice is simply rice that has been overcooked and absorbed too much water. If it sticks together in clumps, it usually indicates a lot of starch. You won’t notice the starch coating each of the rice grains before you start cooking, but when it hits the water and heats up, it becomes extremely gluey.

Fluffy rice is essential for a

quality paella.

How to cook perfectly fluffy rice

If you’re sick of gluggy rice then we’re here to help. To master the art of fluffy rice, we asked taste.com.au contributor and celebrity cook Marion Grasby to give us tips and tricks when it comes to cooking rice.

Marion said: “There are a few simple steps to stop the glug and keep your rice fluffy. Firstly, find a brand of rice you like and stick with it, as brands differ in water requirements (e.g. 1 cup of long-grain rice can take 1 ½ -2 cups water). Experiment to find out how much water your brand needs.

“Before cooking, rinse rice until the water runs clear to remove loose starch. Place it in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the water, cover and simmer until absorbed (about 12 minutes for 1 cup of long-grain rice). Take it off the heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. This allows the steam and moisture to evenly distribute so the rice is uniformly cooked. Finally, use a fork to lightly fluff the grains before serving.”

Side note: one of our food editors also swears by rinsing the rice before cooking, to remove any extra starch.

How to use leftover rice

If all fails and you’re left with a mountain of gluggy rice our number one tip is … DON’T THROW IT OUT. While it may not be delicious to eat mushy rice on its own, it can be repurposed into a whole range of dishes:

Cheesy rice fritters

One cup of leftover rice plus a few other ingredients is all it takes to make these super crispy cheesy rice fritters that the kids will love. Bonus: heaps of hidden veg too!

Everyone needs a good fritter recipe in their life.

Mediterranean tuna & rice bake

With your leftover clumpy rice, you can whip up this super easy and satisfying rice bake – perfect for dinner and lunch boxes the next day.

Try this tuna bake on your next lazy night in.

Our favourite way to cook rice: Garlic butter rice

While there are millions of recipes to try out your new-found skills, we think this garlic butter rice is delicious and pretty foolproof. The recipe uses a packet of French onion soup mix, making this rice extra delish. Serve with anything you desire (curry, casserole, even as a BBQ side!) and keep this recipe in your repertoire to enjoy this garlicky, buttery goodness whenever the craving hits.

The perfect recipe to save your gluggy rice.

More rice recipes:

• Rice cooker rice pudding
• Biko (coconut rice cake)

Originally published as How to prevent your rice from going gluggy ever again