Don't Serve Rice Right After Cooking - Here's Why - Tasting Table

""Even just a few minutes makes a difference," Daud explains. "Resting lets the excess steam escape and gives the starches time to settle, so the rice ends up fluffy instead of wet or clumpy." Daud adds that the go-to time is 10 minutes for a standard amount of rice, but larger batches can require a longer rest. "If I'm making a bigger batch for a dinner party," she says. "I usually give the rice around 30 minutes to rest." However, when making certain "cultural dishes" like maklouba, Daud notes that she will "let it rest up to an hour or even a bit more before serving.""

"When resting rice, it's totally fine to just take it off heat and let the rice rest covered in whatever it was cooked in. However, there's one other trick you can use to aid the process: putting a towel on top. The point of resting rice is to prevent it from getting gummy, and using a dish towel can help absorb excess moisture. When the rice is done cooking, quickly lift off the lid of the pot and place a folded dish towel to cover the top, then put the lid back so it weighs down the towel and creates a tight seal."

Cooked rice must rest after cooking to allow excess steam to escape and starches to settle, producing fluffy rather than wet or clumpy rice. A standard resting time is about 10 minutes, with larger batches benefiting from around 30 minutes and some dishes requiring up to an hour. Rest the rice covered in the same pot or container used for cooking. Placing a folded dish towel under the lid helps absorb extra moisture; lowering the lid back over the towel creates a weighted, tight seal that improves final texture.

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