How to cook cereals and not spoil them: proportions, time and life hacks

Everyone has thrown away overcooked buckwheat or rice that has stuck together in a lump at least once. But you want to quickly, deliciously and without nerves prepare lunch or dinner for yourself. However, this does not always work with cereals. UNN has collected basic cooking rules: how much and how to cook different cereals to have a delicious side dish.

Details

Rice

• Ratio: 1:2
• Time: 15–20 min

To prevent the rice from being scared, it must be thoroughly rinsed in cold water before cooking. Rinse until the water is clear. You need 2 glasses of water for 1 glass of rice. To cook delicious rice, it should be cooked on low heat under the lid for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't forget to add salt. After you cook it, let it stand for another 10 minutes until it is fully cooked.

After that, we recommend adding a piece of butter. This will make the rice taste better.

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Buckwheat

• Ratio: 1:2
• Time: 15–20 min

In fact, cooking this cereal is quite simple. First, rinse the buckwheat with cold water until the water is clear. Then pour boiling water over the cereal in a ratio of 1:2, add salt and bring to a boil. After that, reduce the heat and cook it for another 15-20 minutes under the lid. You can also try frying the buckwheat before cooking. Then the side dish will be more fragrant. 

You can also put a piece of butter in the buckwheat.

Millet

• Ratio: 1:2.5
• Time: 20–25 min

Millet porridge has a peculiarity - it can be bitter. To get rid of this, you can scald the cereal with boiling water before cooking, or simply rinse it in hot water. Millet is cooked in a ratio of 1:2.5 for 20-25 minutes. Millet goes well with butter, and you can also cook this cereal in milk in the same proportions as in water.

Bulgur

• Ratio: 1:2
• Time: 10–15 min

Before cooking bulgur, it must be rinsed in cold water, and then fried in butter or olive oil. Then pour water directly into the pan in a ratio of 1:2. Cook it for 10-15 minutes, after all the water has evaporated, keep it under a closed lid for another 5 minutes.

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Couscous

• Ratio: 1:1 
• Time: 5 min

One of the most convenient cereals is couscous, which is not quite a cereal, because it is cereal grains. But it is convenient because it does not need to be cooked, but simply pour boiling water over it in a ratio of 1:1 and leave it to infuse for 5 minutes.  Or you can also pour water over it and put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Semolina

• Ratio: 1:5
• Time: 5 min

The biggest difficulty is to cook semolina without lumps. However, it is not as difficult as it seems. To avoid lumps, semolina should be poured into already boiling water or milk in a thin stream, constantly stirring with a spoon or whisk. The main thing is also to observe the proportions - 1:5 and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Corn grits

• Ratio: 1:4
• Time: 30–40 min

Of all cereals, corn is cooked the longest - 30-40 minutes in a ratio of 1:4. Corn porridge should be cooked over low heat, stirring frequently. And to prevent it from burning, we recommend  using a saucepan with a thick bottom.

Oatmeal

• Ratio: 1:3
• Time: 25-30 min

Unlike instant oatmeal, whole oatmeal takes longer to cook - 25–30 minutes. You need 3 glasses of water or milk for 1 glass of cereal. Before cooking, it is advisable to soak the oatmeal overnight - this will shorten the cooking time. Cook it over low heat, stirring occasionally.

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