Rinse white rice repeatedly until the water is much less cloudy to reduce stickiness
Rinse rice in cold water, agitate it, drain, and repeat until most cloudiness is gone for less clumpy, less sticky rice.
Add cold water to the rice, mix to release surface starch (cloudy water), then drain and repeat multiple times. The video notes you can leave a little cloudiness, but removing more starch makes the cooked rice less sticky and easier to work with.
The short version
- Cloudy rinse water = starch being removed.
- More rinsing generally means less clumpy rice.
What you need
- pot with lidLid is used to help strain while draining.
How to do it
- 1
Put dry rice in the pot (or a bowl) and add cold water.
Cold water is used in the video.
Watch this step - 2
Mix/agitate the rice in the water until the water turns cloudy.
Cloudiness indicates starch coming off the rice.
Watch this step - 3
Drain the cloudy water off (tilt the pot with the lid acting as a strainer).
Drain carefully so you don’t lose rice grains.
Watch this step - 4
Repeat rinsing and draining until the water is much less cloudy.
A little cloudiness is okay; more rinsing = less sticky rice.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Rinsing only once and stopping while the water is still very cloudy
Repeat the rinse/drain cycle until most cloudiness is gone.
Dumping rice out while draining
Use the lid as a barrier and tilt slowly to pour off water.
Why it works
Rinsing removes surface starch that otherwise gelatinizes and glues grains together during cooking.
Put it to use
Learn next
Rinse cut potatoes to remove excess starch before cooking fries
After cutting potatoes into fry shapes, rinse them to wash off surface starch for better crisping.
Cook rice by simmering in stock until the liquid is absorbed
Add rice, cover it with stock, and let it boil/simmer down until the liquid is gone to cook the rice in one pan.
Improve consistency by keeping notes and adjusting rice based on your setup
Practice rice repeatedly and keep brief notes on heat and results so you can dial in the exact ratio and method for your stove and pan.
Taste a few grains to confirm rice is done (not crunchy, not mushy)
The reliable way to confirm doneness is to taste: rice should be tender with no crunch and not mushy.