Rice, water, oil and salt, cooked by absorption. Colombian rice is soft and separate rather than firm, and the oil is what makes the difference.
The oil is not optional
Four tablespoons for one cup of rice looks excessive and is deliberate. The oil coats each grain before the water is absorbed, and that coating stops the grains releasing starch into the pot.
Starch released into the water is what makes rice sticky. Coat the grains and they cook separate, which is the texture a Colombian plate expects.
Never stir it
This is the other half. Once the rice is in the pot and the water is going, leave it alone.
Stirring breaks the grains against each other and against the pot, and every broken grain releases more starch. A pot of rice stirred while cooking will be sticky no matter how much oil went in.
Two and a half to one
More water than most recipes call for, and it gives a softer grain. Two to one is the standard ratio elsewhere and produces firmer rice.
Neither is wrong, and the Colombian preference is for the softer end. Rice that is still firm in the middle is considered underdone there rather than al dente.
Craters, then low heat
The visual cue in a pot is the surface: when most of the water has been absorbed, small holes appear across the top like craters. That is the point to turn the heat right down and cover it.
From there it is steam doing the work, and the ten minutes of standing at the end with the lid on finishes the grains evenly.
Rice cooker or pot
The rice cooker version is the same recipe with the timing handled for you: it switches itself off when the water is gone. The pot version needs you to watch it, which is the only real difference.
These are alternatives, not consecutive steps, and the recipe card separates them.
More rice
- Coconut rice — the famous one from the coast.
- Chorizo rice — cooked in the sausage fat.
- Mushroom rice — the vegetarian version.
- Arroz paisa — with everything in it.
White Rice FAQ
Four tablespoons per cup coats each grain before the water is absorbed, which stops the rice releasing starch. Starch in the water is what makes rice sticky, so the oil is what keeps the grains separate.
No. Stirring breaks the grains and releases starch, which makes the rice sticky. Once it is in the pot, leave it alone until it is done.
When craters appear on the surface. Small holes open across the top as the last of the water is absorbed, and that is the moment to lower the heat as far as it goes and cover the pot.
Because Colombian rice is eaten softer than it is elsewhere. Two to one gives a firmer grain, which is standard in other cuisines. Neither is wrong.
Yes, and it is not a formality. The steam trapped in the covered pot finishes the grains evenly, and rice served straight off the heat is wetter at the bottom and drier on top.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (long grain white rice)
- 2 ½ cups water (two and a half to one, which is more than most recipes use)
- 4 tablespoons oil (this is what coats the grains and keeps them separate)
- Salt, to taste
Notas
Instructions
In a rice cooker
- Put the water in the rice cooker, add the oil and salt to taste, and let it come to the boil.
- Add the rice and stir, then close it and wait until the cooker switches itself off.
- Leave the rice to stand in the pot for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Fluff it with a fork and serve.
In a pot
- Put the water in the pot, add the oil and salt to taste, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the rice and stir, then carry on over medium heat until the water has almost all been absorbed and craters appear on the surface.
- Turn the heat down as low as it goes and cover. To check whether it is done, push a spoon down the side: if there is still water at the bottom, give it longer.
- Keep an eye on it from here, since you are controlling the heat yourself and rice catches on the bottom easily.
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