How to Cook Brown Rice

Please read this entire page and plan out your cooking method before starting.

Ingredients and Items Needed

1. Short grain brown rice, 2 cups
2. Drinking water, 4 cups
3. Pressure cooker, 6 quarts size or greater

Instructions

1. Wash 2 cups of brown rice in pressure cooker. Wash and rinse rice repeatedly until water drains out clear.
2. After final rinse, add 4 cups of drinking water to the pressure cooker and seal it closed.
3. Cook on high and set timer for 30 minutes.
4. At around 10-15 minutes, it will begin to give off steam. Continue to let it cook.
5. At around the 28-30 minute mark, begin to smell the steam. As soon as it begins to smell noticeably but slightly burnt (but beyond roasted), turn off the flame. Adjust the time depending on the size of your flame.
6. After the rice cooker cools so that the safety valve goes down on its own, which may be up to another 20 minutes after turning off the flame, it may be served.

Notes

1. The part most people have difficulty with is the cooking time. Turn the flame off too soon and the rice will be wet. Wait too long and the rice will be burnt. Do not be discouraged if either of these happen - just note the length of time and the smell of the steam and adjust accordingly next time. There seems to only be a 1-2 minute window of time during which the flame must be turned off for optimal results. The amount of time will inherently fluctuate (perhaps contributed to by atmospheric temperature and pressure fluctuations) but the smell of the steam will be a consistent indicator of when to turn off the flame. Some have described the indicator smell to be similar to slightly burnt popcorn. (As a result, it is normal that the bottom layer of rice will have a burnt color.) Developing a sense of smell for the steam is essential for consistently cooking good brown rice.
2. I tend to buy brown rice from Whole Foods, SKU number 6686. Though organic brown rice is preferred, it is not necessary, given that it is often close to twice the price of non-organic brown rice. Be sure to purchase short grain brown rice, as opposed to long grain brown rice. If you purchase the bulk 25-pound bag it is 10% off (may not be available at all locations.) Some stores will buy it specially for you if they don't have it in stock.
3. When washing the rice, rinse it and swirl the rice around in the washing container by hand. Pour out the water and repeat at least 6 times, until the water you are pouring out levels off in how clear it is.
4. After putting the rice and drinking water into the pressure cooker, swirl the contents of the pressure cooker around to wash off rice from the sides, and level off the surface of the rice so that it cooks evenly.
5. One serving suggestion is to serve mixed with chopped up tofu with roasted unsalted sesame seeds, and tamari sauce. The recommended tamari sauce is by San-J, with reduced sodium. It has a white label with a red circle. Don't hold back on covering the rice with as much sesame seeds as you want for the sake of taste. Serve with room-temperature water. This makes an excellent breakfast.
6. Another serving suggestion is to substitute tofu with mixed steam-cooked vegetables, especially broccoli or kale.
7. On the go: wrap cold or room-temperature brown rice in square sheets of seaweed paper (a Japanese food called nori) with a pickled plum (called umeboshi) or 1-2 teaspoons of pickled plum paste in the center. Sprinkle with roasted unsalted sesame seeds. Allegedly this was the food of the Samurai.
8. These foods can be found in the Asian or Macrobiotic section of many Whole Foods markets.

Commentary

The key to preparing a healthy meal, as far as proportions and amounts of the ingredients, is to be in touch with how the food affects you, your productivity, and how you feel, and adjust the ingredients as desired. Chew the food carefully, and try not to rush the meal. As your body discovers how healthy this food is, it will tell your brain to make you think this food actually tastes good. Try serving brown rice with other foods, and explore what you like. Learn to listen carefully to what your body craves, while at the same time not giving in to its more immediate desires that neglect long-term effects, like candy for example. (Children should be restricted from eating candy at very early ages so that this unhealthy habit never begins.) One's body can be trained to desire healthy foods, as long as you are careful to not leave out certain essential ingredients, e.g. oils and certain fats, etc. whose absence will manifest in cravings for familiar but unhealthy foods that contain them. Keeping your body satisfied with healthy foods will eventually replace desires you may have for unhealthy foods. Stick to foods with simple ingredients that don't require a degree in chemistry to understand. Minimize processed foods, like sugar and white flour. Avoid completely high fructose corn syrup. If you want something sweet, eat fruit (e.g. a bowl of raspberries and blueberries.) Another excellent meal for example is the mixed fruit bowl at some Whole Foods - tastes great and is very healthy. Though it is kind of expensive, it can give you an idea of what kinds of fruits to buy so you can prepare something similar for less money.