A New York Times’ reporter’s microwave rice recipe got big thumbs down on social media with many calling it a culinary crime.
Priya Krishna is an Indian-American food journalist and reporter for the New York Times and has co-authored a cook book with her mother.
In a recent article, she talks about a very convenient way of cooking rice – in the microwave. Krishna shares her step-by-step breakdown of her way to perfect, fluffy rice everytime in the microwave with her readers but not everyone was impressed.
She said especially on a weeknight, when she wants things done fast, she would definitely prefer a microwave to cooker her rice in 22 minutes.
She said while trying to perfect the microwaved rice, she has tried about a dozen different methods that included mechanical tweaks or method changes.
“The method that worked every time was also the simplest: rinsing the rice thoroughly, adding double the amount of water, and microwaving, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the wattage of the machine. It may take a few attempts to figure out the exact timing for your microwave — in my 700-watt machine, it takes 22 and a half minutes — but once you do, you won’t have to think twice about it,” she writes.
The article went viral – but not in a good way. Instagram users were not impressed with the idea at all.
“Microwave is not good for health. We should not risk health for convenience. It is not difficult to learn how to consistently cook good rice. Try cook top, pressure cooker or a hot pot. Health over convenience always,” one comment read.
“Uh no. Just get a good rice cooker,” read another.
A food page shared their recipe for perfect rice in the comments.
“Measure your rice out, wash it really well until water is clear, strain and then measure exactly the original amount in water. (So 1 cup water 1 cup rice) Place water on rapid boil, salt it and stir in rice and cover it immediately and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Keep covered simmering for 15 minutes. Heat off, let sit for another 5 mins before opening lid. I promise you it will be fluffy and cooked,” they wrote.
One even tagged popular comedian Nigel Ng aka Uncle Roger, who does reaction videos especially for rice related recipes, saying she wanted to report a “rice crime”.
“That’s pretty ridiculous, since it takes 20 minutes on the stove. How is 15-25 minutes in the microwave a shortcut?” a user questioned.
“What's next, make rice in an air fryer?” another user fumed.
Priya Krishna, in her author bio for the article states that she “cooked more than a dozen bowls of rice in the microwave while reporting this story.”
She concluded her article justifying more: “Of course, your microwave will never be able to provide those irresistibly crispy grains at the bottom of the pot. But on a weeknight, I’m willing to take shortcuts for expediency. And I certainly never miss scrubbing the pot.”
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