Chopped this, browned that, and deglazed whatever; you went through the whole song and dance for an entree you were craving just to realize that you don’t have rice.

We’ve all been there and it sucks. This recipe will give your future self freshly steamed rice for these scenarios within two minutes and it’s absurdly simple.

So what’s the solution? Prep, but the secret that actually makes this “recipe” work is storage. And when I say storage, I mean these servings can be stored for upwards of 3 months. Longer if you don’t mind some mild freezer burnt taste but take it from me, three is perfectly doable.

Required goods:

• A rice cooker or a pot with a lid
• Rice of your choice, in this example I use a Japanese short grain (sushi rice)
• Water
• Deli containers with lids 8oz (the short plastic soup/sides containers you get from takeout orders)
  *Not an affiliate link. Literally just an Amazon listing that I used for myself. These containers are comfortable on the top rack of any dishwasher and are immensely useful, affordable, and reusable.

Yield:

• Roughly 10, 8oz servings of rice

Directions:

• Make the rice:
  1. Add in 1/3 of the container’s worth of rice
  2. Rinse rice with cold water, drain, and repeat until water runs clear
     • This gives the final product more grain to grain separation and a much cleaner taste as it removes the starch from the water
  3. Add cold water to rice until the the top of the water level is one index finger segment deep (roughly 3/4in deep).
     • More water will create softer consistency, less will have more chew/grain separation, it may take a few tries to get it to your preference
  4. Start the rice cooker or (if you don’t have a rice cooker) place the pot on the stove with the lid on and set it to medium heat and leave for 15min
     • If you’re using the pot method, DO NOT remove the lid. Removing the lid will halt the steaming process and your rice will be at risk of being undercooked or being burned from losing too much water

• Storage:
  1. When the rice is done cooking, it will have increased in volume by at least 2x
  2. Remove the rice from the heat
  3. Fluff the rice while it’s still hot
     • Using a rice scoop or a spatula, scoop into the bowl of rice and lift small portions at a time to break it apart. Doing so will make a huge difference in texture when serving and reheating.
  4. Allow the rice to cool for 10-15min
  5. Portion out the rice into the 8oz to-go containers and apply the lids
  6. Allow to cool to room temp (20-40min)
  7. Label “Best by [3 months into the future]” with masking tape and place in freezer

• Serving:
  1. Remove from freezer
  2. Turn upside down over a microwave-safe serving dish/bowl and push gently with thumbs on the middle of the container till the rice disc drops out
  3. Place a damp paper towel to cover the rice
  4. Place serving ware in microwave and turn on high for 1min 45sec or until the rice is steaming hot all the way through.
  5. Enjoy!