Why Is My Rice Crunchy?

Does your cooked rice look crunchy?

Well, it’s one of the most common issues while steaming rice.

And the best part about it is you can fix this problem without any complicated steps.

So, ready to learn the tips and tricks?

Alright, let’s dive right in!

Jump To:

The main reason why your rice turns crunchy is the less water used for the steaming or boiling process.

It doesn’t matter what technique you use for the rice cooking process; it will turn crunchy if you don’t add enough water to the pot.

And if you use significantly less water, it might even get burnt while cooking.

So, you will have to be careful while preparing the rice at home.

Apart from the water problem, there are a couple of more things that you could do wrong.

In the next section, I have shared the tips to fix the crunchy rice issue.

Check out this section, and I’m sure you will be able to eliminate the issue.

4 Tips To Fix Crunchy Rice

Here are the tips for you –

1. Sprinkle Some Water On The Top And Place The Lid

This is an easy fix to the crunchy rice problem.

If the rice seems a little al dente, you can sprinkle some water with your hand and cover it with the lid.

Let it cook in the pressure cooker for some time.

You may also turn on the heat for a few minutes if you want.

But make sure you remove the whistle while performing this step.

Note: This tip is only useful if you prefer fully cooked rice.

2. Add More Water And Cook For A Few More Whistle

This tip works when the rice looks undercooked and crunchy than expected.

For this type of rice, you can add a little more water than just a splash of water.

The extra water will help provide the rice grains with the required moisture.

And depending on the desired consistency and texture, you can cook it for 1-2 whistles.

Note: It’s important to perform this step within a few minutes of opening the lid.

If you wait for too long, the rice won’t cook again properly.

3. Add Some Hot Water And Wait For Few Minutes

When you add hot water to the cooked rice, it helps in further cooking the grains.

Therefore, even if the rice has cooled down, you can instantly increase the temperature by using warm or hot water.

This tip is useful for rice that doesn’t need another round of steaming or cooking.

If you feel the rice can cook with a bit of warm water, then only you should consider using this method.

If the rice looks too undercooked, you should consider using the second method mentioned in this guide.

Important: The above tips won’t be helpful if the rice is too crunchy and has already stuck to the bottom of the pot.

It will also not work if the rice appears brown or charred.

In such a case, I’d suggest you make a fresh batch of rice with enough water in it.

Or you can try the following method.

4. Cook The Rice Again In A Separate Pot

It’s an ancient way of cooking rice in a pot.

So, I’m sure you won’t go wrong here.

For this method, you will need to boil the water in a pot.

Here are the steps required for this method –

Boil some water in a pot and add a few drops of oil and some salt to it.
Meanwhile, take the crunchy rice from the cooker and spread it on a plate.
Once the water starts boiling, add the crunchy rice to it and boil until the grains are cooked completely.
Remove the cooked rice using a sieve and cover it in a pot.

That’s how you fix the crunchy rice!

Now, let’s look at the tips to avoid this issue altogether.

How To Avoid Crunchy Rice While Cooking?

As you know, learning the right technique is always better than trying quick fixes.

It does help in the long term, and you also get to perfect the art of cooking in the process.

So, let’s quickly learn more about the ways to avoid this problem.

1. Select The Right Type Of Rice

Whether you are making plain rice or stir-fried rice, you will need to select the right type of rice for your preparation.

It is one of the most underrated things to do while making rice.

Generally, we use whichever rice available at the grocery store.

But it often results in sticky rice or mushy rice.

And therefore, if you want to avoid these mishaps, you should probably look at the labels before making the purchase.

These days, most rice sellers promote their rice per their usage.

So, do keep an eye on it as well.

Besides that, you should always remember that there are only three types of rice worldwide.

Short Grain Rice
Medium Grain Rice
Long Grain Rice

Once you know these types, it becomes easier to use them in your preparations.

For e.g.,

The long grain Basmati rice is perfect for making Pulaos, Biryanis, and stir-fried rice dishes.

2. Soak The Rice In Water

Got the right type of rice?

Great!

The next thing you need to do is put it in a water bowl.

Rinse the grains thoroughly and allow them to soak in the water for at least 15-20 minutes.

Now, you might wonder why this step is so important.

Well, the reason is it benefits the cooking process in a great way!

When you soak the rice, the grains begin to absorb the water.

Once they absorb enough water, they swell in size.

And that translates to a faster cooking process, as the absorption step already takes place when you soak the grains outside.

Hence, it’s necessary to perform this step whenever you want to make perfect steamed rice at home.

3. Pour Enough Water Into The Pot

This is the most common mistake people make when cooking rice in a pressure cooker or instant pot.

The rice grains do need enough water to be able to cook to perfection.

If you don’t provide the required amount of water, it’s likely to turn crunchy.

And it might even stick to the bottom or get burnt, as mentioned earlier in the guide.

So, make sure you follow this step with accuracy.

4. Stir The Rice Before Placing The Lid

Although it’s not a required step, you can surely stir it before placing the lid on the pot.

It will help remove any sticky grains from the bottom of the pot.

5. Check The Pressure Cooker or Pot Lid Before Cooking

Finally, you should check the pressure cooker lid before starting the cooking process.

If the lid remains open, it will allow the steam to escape from the pressure cooker or pot.

And once it escapes from the pot, rice won’t cook properly and might turn crunchy and undercooked.

So, it’s important to check the lid before you switch on the flame.

6. Cover The Pot With A Dough Or Damp Cloth

If boiling the rice in an open pot or pan, you should consider placing a damp cloth on the edges.

It will help in preventing the steam from releasing into the air.

Also, if you are making Dum biryani, you can use the dough to seal the edges of the pot.

It’s a traditional technique for cooking rice in its own steam, and it does work great if performed well.

Tip: If you don’t want to waste the dough for the sealing, you can cover it with foil.

And it should do the trick as well.

If the foil is unavailable, you can cover the pot with a lid and place a weight on top of it.

7. Wait For 10 Minutes After Cooking

Followed all steps correctly?

Cool!

Now, don’t rush into opening the pressure cooker or cooking pot.

You will need to allow the rice to cook further in its steam for at least 10 minutes or so.

This will make sure your rice doesn’t turn out crunchy, sticky, or undercooked.

So, be patient and open the lid after some time.

In the following section, I have shared a few frequently asked questions related to this topic.

If you still have any queries in mind, do check out the FAQs below.

FAQs

1. Is It OK To Eat Crunchy Rice?

Well, it really depends on the texture of the rice.

If the rice is fully cooked and seems a bit crunchy, you can surely try it out in preparations like fried rice.

But if the rice is quite undercooked, I think you should fix it using the above methods and then think of using it in other preparations.

As far as consumption is concerned, I’d not recommend you to try the crunchy rice.

It won’t taste as good as completely cooked rice.

You can also repurpose the crunchy rice in sweet delicacies like Payasam, Kheer, etc.

2. How Do You Fix Overcooked Rice?

There are many ways through which you can fix overcooked rice.

You can check out this detailed guide to fix such rice.

3. How Do You Know If Rice Is Undercooked?

The best way to determine if the rice is undercooked is by pressing the rice grain between two fingers.

If it doesn’t turn soft after squeezing, it is not fully cooked.

And you will have to try out some of the methods mentioned above to cook it thoroughly.

Also, if the grain breaks into tiny pieces, you can sprinkle a bit of water and allow it to cook further.

4. Why Is My Rice Mushy And Hard?

If the rice is mushy and hard, it means you have overcooked it and allowed it to sit in the pressure cooker container for too long.

So, make sure you add a little less water next time.

Apart from this, you should also check the quality of rice you’re using for cooking purposes.

If it is a native variety of rice, it might take more time to cook compared to some of the hybrid varieties of rice.

Therefore, if you are not too sure, you should always ask the grocery vendor about the quality and cooking time of a particular variety.

Alternatively, you can also use Kolam or Basmati rice, which are easy to cook and give consistent results each time.

5. Should You Rinse Rice After Cooking?

No, you should never rinse the rice grains after cooking.

It will make the rice mushy.

And more importantly, it will become tasteless.

But if you’re wondering whether it should be rinsed before cooking, the answer is yes.

You should always rinse the rice 2-3 times before cooking.

It will help remove excess starch from the grains, and the rice will also turn soft and fluffy.

Over To You

I hope you enjoyed this little guide on crunchy rice.

If you have any questions or doubts about this topic, please let me know in the comments section below.

And I’d be happy to resolve them for you.

Meanwhile, if you found this guide useful, please consider sharing it with your friends and family.

You can also subscribe to my weekly newsletter for more interesting guides and food updates.