Need some rice advice

I purchased some brown sweet rice and red sweet rice recently at an Asian market. Cooking directions are in a pretty non-English script I can't read. So far my efforts to cook either of these in a pressure cooker (usually what I use to cook regular grocery store brown rice) have resulted in a great gummy mass (it does smell sweet though....). I need directions in English. Help!

I purchased some brown sweet rice and red sweet rice recently at an Asian market. Cooking directions are in a pretty non-English script I can't read. So far my efforts to cook either of these in a pressure cooker (usually what I use to cook regular grocery store brown rice) have resulted in a great gummy mass (it does smell sweet though....). I need directions in English. Help!

Rinse thoroughly, then try an hour presoak before cooking, then drain. Reduce the cooking water used to make up for what the rice absorbs.

The other thing to try is, after rinsing and drying, do a pilaf technique where you give the dry grains a sautee in butter or oil before adding the cooking liquid.

If you google brown sweet rice and red sweet rice you will find many discussions about cooking. Both rices take at least 50 minutes to cook.

Sweet rice is supposed to come out sticky, although not as a great gummy mass (unless you're making a pudding out of it). Don't expect basmati-like fluffy grains out of sweet rice, though--it won't ever happen.

-Paul W.

So far my efforts to cook either of these in a pressure cooker (usually what I use to cook regular grocery store brown rice) have resulted in a great gummy mass

DID SOMEBODY SAY RICE?! This was the first food introduced to me after mother's milk. Each type of rice has its own personal character, cooking technique to render best results, and ideal cooking time. I would think that a pressure cooker would be the enemy for any variety, unless you are truly an expert at the pressure cooker and know precisely the appropriate translation for any ingredient for which you would use it. I agree with many others, consult your favorite Chinese cookbook or website for determining the correct method for cooking your prized ingredient.

Jo Ann, I've never really had a problem cooking brown rice in a pressure cooker -- it shortens the cooking time a bit and I don't need to keep an eye on it. (My technique is to put water and rice in a stainless steel bowl, put the bowl in the cooker on a rack, add some water to the bottom of the cooker, put on the lid, heat to pressure and give about 15 minutes cook time. By the time the cooker has cooled enough that the lid can be removed, the rice is cooked and only needs a bit of fluffing)
So far this hasn't worked with the Asian rices. I will google this though.
Thanks for the advice!

I read in a NY Times food column that sticky rice can be steamed after soaking overnight.