Rice

Allow about 75 g uncooked rice per adult as a side dish, or around 100 g for a larger portion or a rice-based main. It roughly triples in weight as it cooks.

Rinse it in a sieve under cold water until the water is less cloudy to wash off loose starch; this helps keep long-grain rice separate. For risotto, keep the starch on the grains so the dish turns creamy.

For ordinary long-grain rice, use about two parts water to one part rice by volume, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Cool it quickly, ideally within an hour, and refrigerate it in a covered container; use it within 24 hours. Reheat it only once until steaming hot throughout, or freeze it promptly if you will not use it in time.

Cold, well-chilled rice is useful for fried rice: stir-fry it over high heat with vegetables, egg or prawns until piping hot. You can also make rice pudding by simmering rice with milk and sugar until soft and creamy.

Yes. Freeze it as soon as it has cooled, in small airtight portions, and use within a month for best quality. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot throughout.

Brown rice has more fibre per 100 g: 1.3 g compared with 0.8 g in rice. White rice is usually softer and cooks more quickly, while brown rice keeps its bran layer and has a nuttier bite.

Rice is the seed of a grass, grown as a cereal grain. The familiar white grain has had its outer husk, bran and germ removed; brown rice retains the bran and germ.