Marianne Martinez
Crispy rice is a versatile dish that can be served as a snack or as a side. It is made by crisping cooked rice in a pan. There are several ways to crisp rice in a pan, including using oil, butter, milk, or steam. The rice can be cooked directly in the pan, or it can be cooked separately and then added to the pan to crisp. The pan can be placed in the oven or on the stovetop. The rice can also be packed into a pan, cooled, cut into pieces, and then pan-fried. This technique creates rice cakes that can be eaten plain or used as a base for toppings.
How to crisp rice in a pan:
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of rice | Medium grain, sushi rice, jasmine rice |
| Oil | Olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil |
| Other ingredients | Butter, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt, water |
| Pan | Non-stick, heavy bottom cast iron skillet |
| Rice preparation | Cooked, pressed, cooled, cut into shapes |
| Cooking time | 6-20 minutes |
| Cooking temperature | Medium-high |
| Serving suggestions | Salad, fried egg, chilli crisp, curry, dal, saag, salmon, shrimp, cucumber salad |
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What You'll Learn
Use a non-stick pan with oil or butter
To crisp rice in a pan, you'll need a non-stick pan, oil or butter, and cooked rice. You can use leftover rice from a rice cooker, yesterday's takeout, or rice steamed on the stovetop. If you're using sushi rice, you can season it with a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar. Medium-grain rice will also work, but long-grain rice, brown rice, wild rice, and basmati rice are not recommended as they won't stick together as firmly.
Start by heating a tablespoon or two of oil or butter in your non-stick pan until it shimmers. You can also use a mixture of oil and milk for additional browning and caramelization. Spread your rice in the pan in a thin, even layer, no thicker than 1 inch. If you're making rice cakes, press the rice in very firmly, especially at the corners and edges, and weigh it down with something flat, like a pan or cans.
Let the rice cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it's golden brown and cracklingly crisp underneath. If you're making rice cakes, fully cool the rice in the pan, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can speed up the process by putting the rice in the fridge until it's fully cool, then placing it in the freezer for an hour, and finally back in the fridge for another hour to thaw.
Once the rice is cool, lift it out of the pan and cut it into your desired shapes. Then, pan-fry the rice cakes until they're golden and ultra-crispy. You can also add toppings to make modern Asian-style canapes, such as Nobu's Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice.
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Spread rice in a thin, even layer
To spread rice in a thin, even layer, start by heating a tablespoon or two of fat (such as olive oil, coconut oil, or a neutral oil like canola) in a non-stick pan until it shimmers. Then, spread your cooked rice over the cooking surface in a thin, even layer. The amount of rice you use will depend on the size of your pan. It's best to keep the layer thin, preferably less than 1 inch thick, which typically translates to about three cups of cooked rice in a large skillet.
For crispy rice cakes, line a square pan with baking or parchment paper. Scrape the hot rice into the pan and spread it evenly. Cover with another piece of paper and use your hands or a spatula to press the rice firmly, especially around the corners and edges. Aim for a thickness of about 1.25 cm or 1/2 inch.
If you're making a rice puck, you can mound the rice slightly higher in the center of the pan to ensure that the grains in the middle stay extra fluffy. Then, rehydrate the pile with a few tablespoons of water. Cover the pan with a dish-towel-wrapped lid to keep the bottom layer in contact with the hot pan and lock in moisture.
For a simple pan of crispy rice, just spread your cooked rice in a thin, even layer across the pan and let it cook without disturbing it for 6-8 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
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Cook for 6-8 minutes
To make crispy rice in a pan, you'll first need to cook your rice. This can be done by steaming it on a stovetop, using a rice cooker, or using yesterday's leftover rice.
Once you have your cooked rice, heat a tablespoon or two of fat (such as olive oil, coconut oil, or butter) in a non-stick pan until shimmering. Then, spread your rice to cover the cooking surface in a thin, even layer. The ideal thickness of the layer of rice will depend on the size of your pan, but it shouldn't be thicker than 1 inch.
Now, let the rice cook for 6-8 minutes. You can peek underneath the rice after about 5 minutes to ensure it's cooking to your liking. The rice is ready when it's golden brown and cracklingly crisp underneath.
At this point, turn off the heat and use a spatula to break the rice apart into a few big pieces. Flip these pieces onto plates so that the golden brown side faces up. You can serve your crispy rice as-is or top it with your favorite foods, such as a fried egg, a scoop of chili crisp, or a ladleful of curry.
If you're making rice cakes, the process is slightly different. After cooking the rice, let it cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours or overnight. The rice will stick together and form a solid slab. Remove the slab of rice from the pan and cut it into your desired shapes. Now, you can pan-fry these rice cakes until they are golden and ultra-crispy.
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Add toppings like a fried egg or scoop of chilli crisp
Once you have your crispy rice ready, you can add toppings like a fried egg or a scoop of chilli crisp. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to fry an egg:
- Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add a teaspoon of butter or oil per egg.
- Once the butter is melted, gently swirl the pan to evenly coat it.
- If you are using a metal skillet, heat it over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Then, add a teaspoon of oil.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl or ramekin. This will prevent any shell from getting into the pan and make it easier to slide the egg in without breaking the yolk.
- Slide the egg into the centre of the pan.
- Season with salt.
- Cover the pan with a lid. This will trap the heat and steam, ensuring the egg cooks evenly.
- For a sunny-side-up egg with a soft yolk, cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- For an over-easy egg, cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, carefully flip the egg and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- For an over-medium egg, cook for 1-2 minutes after flipping.
- For an over-hard egg, cook for 2-3 minutes after flipping until the yolk is firm.
- Season with freshly ground pepper.
You can also add other toppings to your crispy rice. For example, a bright salad, curry, dal, or saag. You can also make a fried egg sandwich, top it on avocado toast, or add it to a grain bowl.
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For rice cakes, use medium-grain rice
To make rice cakes, you'll need medium-grain rice, oil for frying, and salt for seasoning. You can also add sushi rice seasoning, which is just sugar and rice vinegar, to make the rice cakes tastier.
First, cook the rice according to the package directions. Then, spread the rice evenly in a pan, pressing it down firmly. You can use a sheet of baking or parchment paper to help press the rice into the pan, concentrating on the corners and edges. The rice should be around 1.25 cm thick. For best results, weigh down the rice with something flat, like a pan or some cans, to pack it together more tightly. Then, place the rice in the fridge until it's fully cool, which should take around one hour.
Once the rice is cool, cut it into your desired shapes. To get neater cuts, wet the knife blade. Smaller pieces will be easier to pan-fry and will make great snacking options. Next, pan-fry the rice until it's golden and ultra-crispy. You can also add toppings to your rice cakes to make modern Asian-style canapes, such as Nobu's Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice.
If you want to add additional ingredients to your rice cakes, you can try adding caramelized onions, zucchini, and butter, as well as toppings like feta cheese.
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