Perfect rice is a kitchen challenge that many struggle to solve. One day it's fluffy and fragrant, the next it's gummy, watery, or stuck to the pan.
A simple, old-fashioned trick can help achieve perfect rice without needing any special gadgets or degrees.
In a small kitchen, a neighbour's grandmother demonstrates her technique, measuring water with her fingertip and folding a tea towel over the lid of a saucepan.
She leaves everything to whisper on the hob, not stirred, not fussed over, as if calm were an ingredient.
The process starts with a rinse and a short soak to remove excess starch, resulting in each grain standing apart, with no clumps in sight.
Author's summary: Grandma's simple rice hack yields perfect results.