Easy Rice Recipes

Rice is more than just a staple food in Southeast Asia (HOME COOKED MEALS). It is part of daily life, from breakfast to dinner. The same goes for other East Asian and South Asian countries. Of course, noodles are also part of daily meals, yet rice is most probably the more common staple.

In Malaysia, rice is not eaten for lunch only. It can be anytime meal of the day. Ranging from nasi lemak or even fried rice for breakfast to rice alongside mains and various types of side dishes (QUICK VEGETARIAN SALADS) for lunch. When it comes to dinner, the choices are just as varied, with other possibilities too.

In Malaysia, rice comes in various varieties. The common ones seemingly are white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, parboiled rice, fragrant rice and broken rice, though other choices are available as well. As for daily home meals, cooking rice is usually simple, whether on the stove or in a rice cooker. But rice is not just about cooking a pot of plain rice.

There are rice dishes such as biryani, chicken rice and nasi ulam (herbed rice), to name a few. These dishes require more ingredients and can be prepared as one-pot rice dishes.

However, rice at home does not have to be plain every day. Imagine adding two or three ingredients, mainly easily sourced herbs or spices, and turning ordinary rice into a flavoured rice dish. Nothing beats the convenience of using a rice cooker, or maybe on the stove. Best of all, cooking vegan or vegetarian rice dishes can be effortless (TOFU RECIPES).

(Tomato Rice - YouTube Cooking Shorts Video)

Tomato Rice
2 cups rice - washed and drained
3 cups water
3 small tomatoes - sliced
1 tbsp butter
Salt to taste

Method
Add all ingredients into the rice cooker and stir.
Once rice is cooked, fluff up.

Cumin Rice
2 cups rice - washed and drained
3 cups water
1 tbsp cumin seeds - rinsed and pat dry
1 ½ tbsp ghee
1 red chili (optional)
Salt to taste

Method
Heat ghee in rice cooker and quickly fry cumin seeds.
Add rice and stir in.
Pour water and add salt.
Stir.
Once rice is cooked, fluff up. 
Place sliced chili atop before serving.

(Ginger Rice - YouTube Cooking Shorts)

Coconut Milk Turmeric Rice
2 cups rice - washed and drained
1 inch fresh turmeric - remove skin and pound to a smooth paste
1 turmeric leaf - sliced thinly
1 cup thick coconut milk
2 cups water
Salt to taste 

Method
Add rice, fresh turmeric, coconut milk, water and salt into the rice cooker.
Stir all in.
Once rice is cooked, add turmeric leaf, stir and fluff up.

Garlic Coriander Rice
2 cups rice - washed and drained
3 cups water
Fried garlic in oil
1 handful coriander leaves - sliced
Salt

Method
Cook rice in rice cooker with salt.
Once cooked, tip in garlic in oil (as needed) and add coriander leaves.
Stir all in.