How much rice for 8 people? (+3 Tips)
In this article, we will answer the question “How much rice for 8 people?”, and how to make rice not stick?
How many cups of rice for 20 people?
A single cup of raw rice ( long-grain, round grain, Brown rice, etc ) weighs around 175-180g. Therefore, to feed 8 persons, you will need approximately 3.5 cups of raw or uncooked rice.
How to make rice not stick?
Choose the right rice
This means preferring long-grain rice over medium and short-grain rice. Different types of rice differ in different nutrients. The main nutrient that plays an important role in rice being sticky is starch.
There are two types of starch present in rice i.e amylose and amylopectin. Amylose starch is un-branched and does not gelatinize during the cooking process. Thus It is responsible for making rice light and fluffy. Non-sticky rice has amylose starch in excess.
On the other hand, amylopectin starch is responsible for making rice sticky during the cooking process. This starch is present in excess in medium and short-grain rice varieties. Some of the rice varieties are discussed below.
Long-grain White Rice
This rice is ideal If you want long and fluffy rice. Each rice grain is distinct from the other.
Medium Grain Rice
This variety has more amylopectin and has a creamy consistency after cooking. It has a moist and soft outer layer.
Short Grain Rice
This variety has high amylopectin content and has a sticky, creamy, and moist texture.
Brown Rice
Due to the outer bran layer, this rice takes time to cook and comes out fluffy like long-grain white rice.
Basmati Rice
Like long-grain white rice, basmati rice cooks up light and fluffy. It is very aromatic.
Jasmine Rice
It has long grains and more amylopectin than the long-grain white rice variety. Like basmati, this variety is also aromatic.
Wild Rice
It is not rice but the seed of grass native to North America. It cooks up nice and fluffy. If you cook it till It pops, It comes out to be sticky and moist. It has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor.
Converted Rice
This pre-cooked variety cooks up fast and comes out to be light and fluffy.
Rinse well
The second step to prevent the rice from being sticky is to thoroughly rinse and soak them before cooking. Rinse the rice in a colander or a strainer until the water runs clear. This step is important to remove as much surface starch as possible.
After rinsing the rice, soak the rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes to as long as you can to allow the starch to dissolve in water.
Boil the water in a saucepan with the correct ratio
Choose a large saucepan so that the rice is not congested when they swell up after cooking and to ensure even cooking.
For long-grain white rice, use 2 parts water for 1 part rice. For brown rice, use 2 and a half parts water for 1 part rice. For wild rice, 4 parts water for 1 part rice. After adding the water, add 1-2 tsp of salt which removes starch and talcum from rice while seasoning it.
Cook the rice
Once the water comes to a boil, stir in the rice. Reduce the flame to a simmer. Do not stir too much as It will make the rice mushy.
Generally, white rice takes 20 minutes, brown rice takes 30 minutes, and wild rice takes about 45 minutes. After this time, taste-test the rice for tenderness.
Drain and serve
Drain the rice and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the rice to absorb water and let the rest of the water evaporate.
Other FAQs about Rice which you may be interested in.
How to flavor rice in a rice cooker?
Can you eat white rice on a diet?
How to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot?
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the flame and let it sit for 5-10 minutes with the lid on to allow the rice to absorb steam and leave the bottom of the pot becoming more fluffy.
- Using a fork, fluff up the rice grains until they are distributed evenly. Pricking the rice using a fork will help release the rice from the bottom and fluff them up.
- Using a big slotted spoon(plastic or wooden), scoop out your rice all the way from the bottom. Serve and enjoy.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “How much rice for 8 people?”, and how to make rice not stick?
References
https://www.livestrong.com/article/446032-how-to-cook-rice-without-it-sticking-together/
https://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-Rice-from-Sticking-to-the-Bottom-of-a-Pot
