[indiana ima]

i found a recipe online for white rice in a crockpot: http://www.lazygourmets.com/modules....rticle&sid=374 but i don't want to cook white rice. do ya'll think that recipe would work for brown rice? what about basmati? do any of you have a recipe for plain basmati or brown rice in a crockpot?

 

[mom2cal]

I usually only cook brown rice in my rice maker. I use 1 cup of rice and add 2 cups of water. You can modify the amounts to how much rice you want to make, just double the water to the amount of rice. Sometimes I add a little salt or butter but usually I make it plain.

 

[indiana ima]

i don't have a rice maker though, just a crockpot (plus saucepans, etc). would your instructions work in my crockpot, do you think?

 

[indiana ima]

well, i decided to just try it. so, i'll try to remember to post a review later!

 

[indiana ima]

finally remembering to post a review.

WOW! I can finally cook good rice!
Whee!!! It is YUMMY.

:

:

 

[alsoSarah]

Thanks for posting your update!

Could you post your specific steps, please, in a very"for-dummies" kind of way?

Or did you do it just as the link specifified for white rice, except using brown rice?

alsoSarah (a good cook who is afraid of her crockpot)

 

[indiana ima]

yeah, i cooked it pretty much exactly like the link says, only i think it says to cook it for longer. i was impatient and checked it after 4.5 hours and i saw that it looked done, so i tasted it, and it was YUMMY.

since then i've been a lot less careful with measuring the salt and butter, and i've added a touch more water (didn't measure how much more, call it a "splash"), and it has been seriously YUMMY every time. three out of three or maybe four out of four, it's too hot to eat a lot of hot rice.

still, i am convinced that this is the perfect way for me to cook rice.

and i used to be afraid of my crockpot also, but now i cover it with aluminum foil and then put the lid down over the foil. my lid didn't fit quite right and everything was drying out and everything i tried to make was either yucky or soup (i.e. soup is too wet to dry out). perhaps this is the problem with your crockpot?

 

[alsoSarah]

This is embarrassing to admit, but the only problem with my crockpot so far is that I've never trusted it enough to try making anything other than soups or stews in it!

:

I think I've read too many "I tried to make dinner in the crockpot, and it was a disaster!" stories....

I *plan* to make other things in the crockopt, but I always chicken out and end up cooking them on the stovetop or in the oven, so that I can be sure they'll turn out well!

When/if I do get brave, though, I'll try your foil suggestion to improve my odds. Thanks!

alsoSarah

 

[indiana ima]

aww, please don't smack me for being patronizing, but that is kind of sweet. i hope you get "brave" soon.

 

[alsoSarah]

 

[nichole]

i really really appreciate you posting the review on this.

anyone get brave and put some beans in it. i have some dried beans i want to try but don't really want to commit to being home all day to cook them. i feel more comfy leaving a crockpot on while i run out than the stove. they are only supposed to take 1-2 hrs to cook but i swear even with soaking it takes all day!!!

 

[alsoSarah]

I would guess that the beans would take *way* longer than the rice to cook, so the rice might be a bit gummy by the end....

 

[indiana ima]

i was thinking i would throw some lentils in with my rice, but i wanted to try the "new" rice all by itself first. my mom bought me this huge bag of basmati and i finally cooked some. it was very good, but it needed a bit more water and a bit less time, i do believe.

the brown rice did great with one part rice to one part water (plus a bit of butter and salt) and then cook for 4 hours. that protocol caused the basmati to turn brown and stick together around the edges of the pot.

so next time i think i'll do a cup of rice plus a cup and a quarter of water, and cook for more like 3 hours and check the pot to see how it tastes/looks. if it's done, cool, if not, i'll cook it more.

anyway, once i figure out how to make the basmati right, i might add some lentils and when i do, i'll probably do one part lentils to one part water.

 

[nichole]

i didn't think about lentils. they don't take very long...neither do split peas. as for other beans, you could put them in first and add rice and water toward the end. this is too complicated. i'm gonna stick to my two separate pots.