Wooden barrel rice
Overview
The rice steamed in wooden barrels is soft and delicious, with a light woody aroma. It's time-consuming, but the deliciousness is worth the wait.
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Ingredients
Steps
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Soak the rice for 2 or 3 hours in advance.
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Wash the rice, drain the water, and pour it into a wooden barrel.
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After adding water to the pot and boiling, put the wooden barrel in. Do not cover the lid until steam comes up from the barrel, then cover it and steam for 10-15 minutes.
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The rice should be steamed until it changes color slightly and you can't hear the sound of rice grains when you insert it with chopsticks.
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Pour the half-cooked rice in the wooden barrel upside down into the basin, and pour a circle of pre-heated boiling water on the rice (it must be boiling water). This step determines the softness and hardness of the rice. If you like it softer, add more boiling water to make it the same as the beaten rice. If you like it harder, add less boiling water. For mine, it's a bit firmer, so just add a little water at the bottom. Finally, spread the rice flat and break it up so that each grain of rice can absorb water. Then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes. The length of time depends on the amount of water added. You can open the lid and turn the rice over halfway.
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The rice soaked in boiling water has fully expanded. The outer layer of the rice grains is a little soft when you pinch it, but the rice core is hard. At this time, it is about seven or eight years old.
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Pour the soaked rice back into the barrel and fluff it with chopsticks. You can poke a few holes to make it easier for water vapor to escape upward. Add water to the pot and bring to a boil, then put it into a wooden barrel and steam it for 15-20 minutes. If it is a large wooden barrel or there is a lot of rice to cook, you can steam it longer and turn it over halfway to make it easier to cook.
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This is steamed rice. It is very soft and the rice is in small pieces. The leftover rice is also delicious when used for fried rice.
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Finished product.
