tip for 600 gram rice cooking in varoma

[Caatjeh]

Hi,

Yesterday my Thermomix arrived and I am now experimenting with it. I am so excited about it.


 I also have a rice cooker in which I normally cook the rice in a metal scale. I place it in the ricecooker, fill it with water and the rice absorpts the water. After 35 minutes the rice is ready. I have now done the same with the TM. I have placed this metal scale  in the Varoma scale. Put three cups (total 600 gram) of rice and three cups of water, and yes my rice has been perfectly steamed.

Thus:
1) put a metal scale which suits the varoma in the varoma. I have only experience with a metal scale. Maybe other materials e.g glass which stands heat will suit?

For an example for a metal scale: see the link

http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/images/products/blanda-blank-serveerschaal__40771_PE134582_S4.jpg

2)  put rice and water in this scale. e.g. 3 cups of rice and 3 1/2 cups of water. Most of the time the amount of cups of rice equals the amount of cups of water. But I always put al little bit more water .. I have only experience with basmati rice and pandan rice, so i do not know how this method works out for other types of rice...
3) Put water in the mixing bowl in order to create steam


I have now a few questions: do I need to keep the knife in the mixing basker when steaming?
And do you sometimes interrupt the steaming in the varoma by taking it off, filling the steaming basket with e.g. vegetables and then continue steaming with the varoma? By putting my metal basket with the rice in the varoma, there is no place left for steaming vegetables in the vegetables, and I thought maybe I can do this in the small steaming basket. However my basmati rice takes 35 minutes to be steamed, and e.g. my green beens only 15 minutes. so they need then to be taken out earlier.

[Aussie Brenda]

Caatjeh, we all cook our rice in the small basket inside the Thermomix bowl, did you get the Everyday Cooking Book, the instructions are in there, if not you can only do 400g at a time , 900ml's of water, give the rice a rinse and cook for 13 to 16 mins, at Veroma temperature. You can cook in the Varoma at the same time.

[judydawn]

Not sure what you mean by the knife in the mixer basket when steaming Caatjeh but it sounds as if you have found a different way to cook your rice.  The steaming basket will hold 400g of rice though which would free up the varoma dish & tray for steaming your vegies.  If you prefer to do it your way, yes you can interrupt the steaming of the rice to add the steaming basket of vegies to the TM bowl at any time.

[Caatjeh]

Hi,

I know I can do the steaming in the steaming basket, but then the maximum of rice is 400 gram. We usually eat more than 400 gram, that's why i was looking for a way to steam more rice in one time.

What i mean with the knive, is the mixing knife which is turning around in the water in the basket while steaming the rice..  I do'n't understand why he is turning around (do not know this is the right word..) since the water only needs to be heated for steaming?

[judydawn]

You can't stop the blade from turning Caatjeh, it won't do any harm.  I just realised the title of your thread was for 600g rice, so yes you are doing the quantity which suits you and thanks for sharing this tip with others on here with big families or big rice eaters.

[Greyhoundmum]

Hi Caatjeh
as we cook rice for five adults or more I am very glad I did not throw out my rice cooker. I use TMX to cook rice if I want the smaller amount of 400 g but if I want a large amount I still use my old rice cooker which frees up TMX to do something else.

[SuperMum_of_3]

thanks for that handy tip as I've increased the TM recipe to 480 grams and had success but felt that was the limit. Sometimes i do two lots of rice. As the main meal we have a large quantity of rice with is a mock lemon sauce with baked chicken recipe, I will be able to steam in varoma dish without worrying about lost vege space. Thanks heaps! Has been a huge help! Now I know what I'm cooking for dinner tomorrow!

[Caatjeh]

Hi,

I also think that I keep my ricecooker in case we need more rice when people come eating. Thanks for your reactions

[SuperMum_of_3]

okay HELP please!
Caatjeh, I had a major fail attempting steaming rice in the varoma dish.  
I put metal basket inside the varoma dish, in that 550g rinsed rice.. But I  put about 1000g water in bowl.
set at varoma, 35 minutes, sp4 - still very much uncooked - hard. Because it was late, hungry kids etc we just dumped it all into a saucepan with boiled water and cooked it for about 10min til done. I reckon it would have taken at least another 30min in varoma dish otherwise, possibly an hour more & may never have cooked at all!
the only dif I can see in recipe, is that you used 3 cups water. Is that where I went wrong? Or should it not matter?
could the variety of rice make a dif? I used medium grain, white rice. What did you use?
 

[judydawn]

What speed did you use SuperMum?

[Caatjeh]

Hi Supermum,

I hope I can help you. I did boil the water before I put it in the bowl. So that shortens the steaming time. After a few minutes, the varoma was steaming. I used basmati rice, and the total steaming time was about 38 minutes. The rice becomes ready through absorption. If you put equally (almost equal..) water and rice (e.g. 3 1/2 teacups of water and 3 teacups of rice), then there is no water left when the rice is ready.  How big was your bowl? Was there enough place left for the steaming coming through?

The variety of rice can differ such as brow rice takes longer. Maybe it went wrong with the amount of water, that was way too much. Please try again with above suggestions and let me know. Take care

[fundj&e]

so u place the rice in the varoma thingy NOT the basket is that right caat?

[Caatjeh]

yep!

[SuperMum_of_3]

thanks JD, it was sp 4. Have edited my post.

Caatjeh, thanks. Will try again, boiled water first.
All holes were free for steam to come through as I insert a vege steamer basket in varoma dish and it has little feet that raise it off the bottom.
 Will use less water per ur advice, though probably half cup more as I don't want to risk it boiling dry, given I'm not yet confident with cooking this way.
Am thinking though, at 38 min, might be better for us to keep cooking rice in steamer basket in TM bowl & just cook the rice twice, as we can be eating sooner and cooking second lot during our first serving.
will try your recom again first.
 

[Caatjeh]

I think that basmati rice takes in general longer than normal rice. Maybe if you take just more 'general' rice it will take less time. The cooking of rice in the varoma is i think useful when to cook a larger quantity of rice in one time.