This Martha Stewart Tip Completely Changed How I Cook Rice

For years, I had pretty lukewarm feelings towards rice. When I’d make it at home, it was fine but never really the highlight of the meal. Instead, it was more a vehicle for sauces, protein, and veggies than anything else.

I’d notice if I had rice while I was out to eat, it was much better. But these were professional chefs, I’d think, with professional gadgets and tools to make it perfect. Certainly I wouldn’t be able to replicate this at home, no matter how hard I tried… so I didn’t. That was until I saw a Martha Stewart article—and everything changed.

How Does Martha Stewart Make Rice?

Before I came across this pro tip for cooking rice, I’d always use the 1-to-2 ratio of rice to water, and the rule-follower in me never thought to question it. It was easy to remember and it’s written everywhere, so it must be correct.

However, when I read that Martha uses a bit less water than a typical recipe, it immediately made sense to me. Rice was always kinda mushy when I made it. Besides reducing the water, Martha also calls for cooking the rice less than the time listed in the recipe’s instructions.

Armed with these two new-to-me directions, I made rice Martha’s way that day and never looked back (it turns out my cooking skills were not the problem). It yielded chewy, perfectly firm yet soft, and fluffy grains. It was a total lightbulb moment. Too much water + too long of a cook time = mushy, waterlogged grains of rice. Well, no more.

Cooking White Rice Versus Brown Rice

Martha has slightly different recommendations for white versus brown rice, so take note. For Perfect White Rice, she calls for 1 1/2 cups water to 1 cup rice with a cook time of 16 to 18 minutes. Her Perfect Brown Rice calls for 1 1/4 cups water to 1 cup rice for long-grain and 1 1/2 cups water to 1 cup rice for short-grain; both varieties of brown rice feature a 30-minute cook time.

This less-is-more method truly makes rice every bit the star of a meal as any other element. Ready to test out this method? A few of my favorite rice-centric recipes to consider: Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl, Black Bean Burrito Bowl, and Classic Kimbap. Before you add all the other elements, though, I suggest you follow my lead and make a little “appetizer” rice bowl with butter and salt. Yum.