"Instant" Rice

[ONE]

Does anyone know of a source for plain "just add water" rice in the UK? It's called Minute Rice in the States, and you can get that here in international grocers for silly money. But I'm looking for a UK/Euro source at "normal" prices. There are various flavoured snack pack things that fit the bill, but I'm after just plain long grain rice.

 

[Hammock_man]

If you can not this rice, would cous cous do?

 

[ONE]

If you can not this rice, would cous cous do?

Umm... Yes & no. It would fulfil a similar role if I were simply looking to make an easy meal for sure. But in this instance, I want rice!

I have rat-pack stuff in retort pouches that you just need to heat, but that's comparatively bulky for what I'm after too!

 

[Robson Valley]

I have a deep drawer in my kitchen with 4 kinds of rice and CDN Wild grass "rice." The cook times vary so much. Wild rice is 60 minutes, my plain basmati is 20 minutes. Which will it be? I can't help but keep thinking about the fuel cost to cook it vs the energy benefit to you, the camper.
Couscous in water + salt & lemon juice needs boiling water then take it off and let it sit to cook. That's a single blast from the stove and I'm done.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

Minute Rice - Premium Rice - Instant 396g- 14oz - American Food Store

Minute Rice - Premium Rice - Instant 396g- 14oz

www.usafoodstore.co.uk

Doesn’t look like a cheap option though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FerlasDave]

Is it not just called “quick cook rice” over here?

In the past I’ve used the packet microwave ones and just emptied them into a pot with a small amount of water to heat them through. Is that a solution?

 

[billycoen]

Asda(or Walmart,maybe) do microwave /boil in the pot rice,costs about 39p.

 

[Toddy]

You can make it yourself.

It's hot soaked and then steamed plain rice that is then oven dried.

The hot soak and steaming cracks the rice grains enough that they re-absorb water quickly.

It's time consuming, it uses energy twice over, and the subsequent grains are lacking in vitamins, minerals, and arguably a lot of rice taste, but it's quick food.

M

 

[TLM]

Here it is sold as "quick rice" in almost all grocery stores, very std item.

 

[Toddy]

Is it expensive ?

Indian ladies have a kind of quick cook rice that's like our 'rolled oats'. It's pre-cooked (steamed) and squished into flakes and then dried.

M

 

[TLM]

Is it expensive ?

No, basically the same price as normal "60 min" rice. As I understand it is pre-steamed and dried, it looks like untreated one.

I use it when eating on treks as it is ready to eat almost instantly, my (very non gourmet) way is that I boil the water and then add the rice, by the time it has cooled to edible temp it is ready to eat.

 

[Toddy]

Either you're an awful lot higher up than us, or your rice is different. Rice cooks in about 20 minutes here.

 

[TLM]

Either you're an awful lot higher up than us, or your rice is different. Rice cooks in about 20 minutes here.

Not higher, the "60 min" is what I remember for std brown (bran intact) rice cooking time.

 

[ONE]

Thanks everyone, the microwave stuff is effectively the same as the rat-pack rice, more or less ready to eat. It's great, but not what I'm after in this instance. I think I'll take a lead from Toddy and DIY, maybe use my dehydrator.

I can distinctly remember suitable products being easily, and cheaply, available here in the past. Perhaps the microwave option has done away with it.

 

[Jared]

Freeze dried rice £19.90/kg

Freeze dried rice, 1kg

Freeze dried rice, 1kg The best rice option we've found so far which doesn't require lengthy cooking. The rice is first cooked, and then dried to take all the moisture out, meaning you just have to add hot water and wait a bit (~5-10 minutes) before eating. No stirring or continued heating...

tentmeals.co.uk

 

[ONE]

Freeze dried rice £19.90/kg

Ahh, now that might do, if they'll deliver to NI.

 

[BumblingAlong]

Not exactly instant, in fact the opposite but thermos cooking has merit

 

[ONE]

Not exactly instant, in fact the opposite but thermos cooking has merit

I have a couple of old aircrew Thermos flasks that get used for cooking rice/pasta and soaking pulses.

 

[TLM]

Freeze dried rice £19.90/kg

Moly hoses, "quick rice" here about eur4/kg.

 

[Toddy]

Freeze dried rice £19.90/kg

Freeze dried rice, 1kg

Freeze dried rice, 1kg The best rice option we've found so far which doesn't require lengthy cooking. The rice is first cooked, and then dried to take all the moisture out, meaning you just have to add hot water and wait a bit (~5-10 minutes) before eating. No stirring or continued heating...

tentmeals.co.uk

Nearly twenty quid a kilo ??? I buy ten kilos of Basmati from Sainsbury's for under twelve.
Twenty quid ? what have they added ? gold ?

M....with housewife hat firmly on