The 500 calories set meal always comes with 100 grams of steamed white rice. 100 grams of cooked white rice has 160 calories. Eating rice makes you feel full and the fullness last longer. Japanese rice, here in the US called Calrose rice produced in California, is medium grain and becomes sticky when cooked. You can purchase “Nishiki” or “Botan” brand at your local grocery store. 1 cup of uncooked rice (180 ml) makes about 400 grams of cooked rice. Measure 100g of steamed rice on scale before serving. The best way to keep leftover rice is to freeze. Read more about Easy Delicious Frozen Cooked Rice.
How to Make Delicious Japanese Rice
If you have a rice cooker…
1. Measure white rice and cook according to the directions from the bag or rice cooker.
2. Rinse rice and drain in colander.
3. Leave for 30 minutes so that rice will absorb the remaining water. This process makes rice sweeter. You can skip it if you don’t have time.
4. Place the rice and fresh water in rice cooker. I use 1 & 1/4 cup water for 1 cup of rice. For example 2 cups of rice need 2 and 1/2 cups of water.
5. Switch on rice cooker.
If you don’t have a rice cooker…
1. Use heavy gage cooking pot like cast iron.
2. Measure rice with measuring cup.
3. Rinse rice and drain in colander.
4. Leave for 30 minutes so that rice will absorb water. This process makes rice sweeter.
5. Put the rice in the pot and add 1 & 1/4 cup water for 1 cup of rice. For example 2 cups of rice need 2 and 1/2 cups of water.
6. Bring to boil with high heat. ***Warning: pay attention so that it will not over boil
7. Reduce heat to low heat and cook for 13 minutes. ***Warning: do not open lid while cooking. You want to maintain constant cooking temperature for best results.
Easy Delicious Frozen Cooked Rice
Here your will learn how to store cooked rice. It is not so practical to cook rice every day. I also think that cooking just 1 cup of rice is too much work. I normally cook 2 to 3 cups of rice weekly and keep them in the freezer. It will keep well for up to 2 weeks. This is the Japanese way to store leftover cooked rice.
- When rice is cooked, let it sit until rice isn’t too hot to handle. Do not let it sit until room temperature to prevent moisture from escaping.
- Cut plastic wrap large enough to wrap 100 grams of cooked rice, like 30 cm x 20 cm (about 11 inch x 8 inch).
- Place the piece of plastic wrap over scale and measure rice for 100 grams
- Wrap them flat like square hamburger patties air tight. Make sure that wrap doesn’t get wrinkled into the rice. This will help to remove wrap easily after frozen.
- After wrapping, let the rice cool down. Put them in a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer.
- When you eat, do not defrost. Unwrap frozen rice and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until rice becomes hot. Use a fork to fluff it up.