Cooking rice on the stovetop can be a bit of a moving target. Little changes to the cooking method and ratio of liquid can mean the difference between perfectly cooked rice, and either a mushy mess or a dry, scorched one. Once you’ve found your perfect liquid ratio, timing, and heat level, though, there’s one more step you can take to make your rice extra flavorful: Toast it!
Toasting is a simple method that works wonders on any kind of rice, and even other grains like couscous and quinoa. In the same way toasting nuts deepens their flavor, toasting rice in a little bit of oil or butter before cooking it in liquid adds a warm, toasty flavor to plain rice. The addition of butter or oil adds even more richness.
But why stop there? You can use this opportunity to bloom spices — like cumin or turmeric, for example — or aromatics (like garlic, finely chopped onion, or scallions) in the saucepan with the rice, adding even more flavor to your rice.
