This basic recipe is for use with wild-harvested, lightly parched Wild Rice. NOT for use with the stuff that is jet-black. Wild Rice varies greatly depending on a variety of factors, but especially how it is ‘parched’ or in other words dried. Wild Rice that is a tan color will cook much more quickly and with less water than Wild Rice that is heavily parched and black in color.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Wild Rice
1-2 cups water (texture will be par-cooked with 1 cup of water, very soft with 2 cups- I prefer 1 ½ cups of water for slightly chewy ‘al dente’ rice)
½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Gently rinse the rice by placing it in a mesh strainer and running water over it for about 30 seconds, or by putting it in the rice cooker bowl or pot you are cooking in and dumping off the water. You should see that the white kernel of the rice is poking out of the ends of some of the hulls.
Rice Cooker - Add the rice and your desired amount of water to the cooker and turn the cooker on. Once the cooker has stopped, check the rice to see if it is to your desired doneness. If it is still too chewy, add ¼ Cup more water and turn the rice cooker back on. If your rice is still not the desired tenderness, add another ¼ cup of water and cook again. Taste the rice for salt level and add more if you think it needs it.
Stovetop - Bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Check the rice for doneness and keep cooking if it is not tender enough. If most of the water has cooked out at this point, add a ¼ cup more and continue to cook. Keep checking for desired tenderness every 5 or so minutes until it is satisfactory. Taste and add more salt if needed.
To steam in an InstaPot, add rice and water to the pot and cook on high for 10 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
Easy additions to add to your rice before cooking: dried mushrooms, chicken stock or vegetable broth in substitution of water, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce or shio koji as extra salt/seasoning- more to taste.