Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled Eggplant Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep grilled eggplant from getting soggy? ›

Depending on the recipe, you might want to slice and salt globe eggplant slices before cooking them in order to draw out some of the water and keep them from turning to mush. In On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes that because eggplants are filled with tiny air pockets, they function like sponges.

You don't need to soak jasmine rice before cooking because it will come out soft without it. But if you use basmati, soak it for 30 minutes and drain it before cooking. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before scooping up the freshly cooked rice to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

Spread the rice to an even thickness and poke some holes. Bring fresh water to a full boil in the wok/pot then place the basket in. Cover with a lid and leave to steam over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Jasmine rice needs a lot less water than normal white rice, it also cooks a little quicker, the result is super sticky, fluffy, slightly sweet and wholesome.

Eggplants can have the alkaloid solanine, which can give it a bitter taste. “Another compound possibly contributing to eggplant's bitterness is anthocyanin, which is a phytochemical that gives eggplant its pretty purple hue and can act like an antioxidant when we consume it,” says Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN.

No rinsing – if you use 1 1/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of jasmine rice, your rice will be fluffy even without rinsing. If you rinse, you must reduce the water by 2 tablespoons to factor in the extra water than remains in the rice (ie 1 1/4 cups water minus 2 tablespoons)

Jasmine Rice Water Ratio

The perfect ratio is 1½:1, which means 1½ cups of water per each cup of rice. Adapt the rice to your preference: For slightly drier rice, use ¼ cup less water per each cup of rice and to make it moister use ¼ more water per cup of rice.

Both jasmine and basmati rice have a more pronounced aroma and taste than standard white rice. Choose jasmine rice when you want a fluffy, creamy dish. Try basmati in a pilaf, salad, or grain bowl where you want the texture of the individual rice grains to shine through.

Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the rice simmer until all the water is absorbed, or about 10 to 15 minutes. When checking for doneness, be sure to check the rice at the bottom of the pot, using a wooden spoon to make a well.

How to cook jasmine rice without it being sticky? ›

If your rice has absorbed too much liquid, the grains may have split and the starches may have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency. One way to fix that? Add even more liquid. Pour in some milk, a dash of vanilla, and spoonful of sugar, and suddenly your mushy rice is a rich rice pudding.

White jasmine rice and other types of white rice have an almost identical nutritional profile. Jasmine rice contains slightly more calories and fat than some other white rices, but not enough to significantly affect a person's nutritional goals, or how full they feel after eating.

Many recipes call for rinsing the grains before cooking but I think it's an unnecessary extra step; even when you rinse jasmine rice, the grains have a slightly sticky texture and cling together.

Cubing the eggplant allows it to fit comfortably on just one baking sheet without crowding. And that means it gets golden brown and caramelized instead of soggy!

Wrap each eggplant in a paper towel or inside a paper bag with the top left open. That way the fruits can still breathe, and the paper will absorb any excess moisture that could cause them to unduly soften.

Before hitting the stovetop, give cubed and sliced eggplant pieces a spin in the microwave. Pre-cooking the eggplant (in a single layer, on a paper towel-lined plate) for about five minutes helps collapse the spongey structure, which will prevent it from absorbing quite so much oil.