Rice is certainly the best ingredient for countless meals. Problem is that cooking a good rice-based dish takes a somewhat long time. Fortunately , if you want to cook it quickly and make it look and taste good, you can use the microwave.
A delicious recipe to make in minutes
The microwave oven has become a very useful appliance inside the kitchen, since it can be used to heat ready-made food, and cook fresh preparations easily and quickly. If you’re fond of rice-based dishes but still don’t know how to cook rice in the microwave, continue reading, you’ll be surprised how simple it is.
Basic ingredients are only three: good quality rice, water and salt. Do not forget the rice to water ratio: 1 cup of rice needs 2 cups of water.
Put all three into a microwave safe bowl, cover it and place in the microwave oven.
Cook rice at full power for about eight minutes. Carefully take the bowl out and fluff the rice a bit. Microwave it back for another three minutes, and it will be ready to eat.
As simple as it sounds you can prepare this grain with a soft and neutral flavor that combines perfectly with different ingredients, from vegetables to meat. It can even be prepared as a pudding, to enjoy an exquisite sweet dessert.
The following is a healthy and delicious dish quite easy to make in the microwave, and worth trying at home.
Curried vegetables and rice
Ingredients
- White onion.
- ¼ red pepper.
- ¼ green pepper.
- Two mushrooms.
- Salt.
- A tablespoon of butter, about 0.5 ounces.
- A cup of vegetable broth.
- A cup of coconut milk (better at room temperature).
- A cup of rice.
- Two tablespoons of curry powder.
- A cup of cooked artichokes.
Method of preparation
- Chop the mushrooms along with the onions and peppers in small pieces, and pour them in a microwave suitable pan.
- Add some salt and the butter cut in small chips, so that it mixes more evenly with the vegetables.
- Place the preparation in the microwave to cook in two periods of three minutes each at 900 W, stir between them. Then the sofrito will be ready.
- Carefully remove the container from the microwave, and heat the cup of broth for one minute and at maximum power. Remove and pour over the sofrito.
- Add the coconut milk at room temperature, and the curry powder in the form of rain, mix well with a spoon so that no lumps form.
- Add the rice, be sure to distribute it evenly in the pan. Without touching or stirring the preparation, place the container in the microwave and cool in three rounds of three minutes each, at 900 W.
- Between each round, open the microwave for the steam to come out, this way the liquid is prevented from boiling and overflowing.
- Add the cooked artichokes after the three microwave rounds. Mix a little with the rice, and heat for another minute at 900 W.
- With these simple steps and without using anything but the microwave, you can make a delicious curry vegetable rice, without being a cooking expert or wasting a long time in the process.
Useful tips
One of the good things of preparing this curried vegetable rice recipe in the microwave is that it allows a wide variety of combinations, since it is a very versatile recipe that adapts to the taste of each person. For example, instead of adding artichokes you can use peas, instead of mushrooms or peppers, carrots will be good as well. Adding chopped scallions or leeks when making the sofrito will give not only a very delicious rice, but a good looking dish.
There’s a secret for the sofrito. It can be made the night before and put in the fridge. This will not have a noticeable effect on its flavor when it’s going to be used in the microwave rice preparation the next day. And certainly could be a time-saver.
With a microwave oven, you can prepare rice easily and quickly, even add vegetables, mushrooms, artichokes and other ingredients to make a delicious and nutritious meal, and be confident that the final result will be much more than satisfactory.
