I can’t believe I finally got the crunchy rice figured out! And it is the second time! I wanted to make sure it was not a one time thing before writing about it. The secret to making crunchy rice is NOT using parboiled rice. This one day I decided to buy dry beans instead of canned. Even though it is a more tedious process, it is more cost effective in the long run. While I’m still trying to master the art of cooking dry beans (once achieved, it will be another post), I’m managing so far. I’ve tried the fast soaking method and I don’t really like it. I will try soaking them overnight and see how that goes. Anyway, I figured I would fix rice with the home made beans. That same day, I had gotten a package of regular long grain rice (not Uncle Ben’s). I prepared the rice the same way. Brought water, some salt and some olive oil to a boil. I always use the 1:2 ratio (for one cup of rice; two of water). When boiling, added the rice and cooked until all the water had evaporated (fought the urge to turn the rice. When the liquid had evaporated, lowered the heat to medium low, more to the low side, and finished cooking. If you are making this, it should take like 10 minutes or less to finish cooking, depending on the amount of rice. At this time though, pay close attention because you don’t want the rice to burn and you want to make sure there are no raw grains left. Once done, fluff the top and you should have a nice golden, crunchy rice in the bottom of the pan (if all went well). If these instructions are not very clear, let me know and I will to make them better.

If you have worked with dry beans before and have any suggestions, please share them. It is not very often that I like eating this, but every now and then I do get the urge. I will keep trying until I get the dry beans. I believe buying dry beans is especially good because they are cheaper and you can determine how much you are going to prepare and avoid throwing away food. Anyway, to finish a classic Puertorican meal, fry some tostones and chicken breasts. If frying home made tostones, be very careful when peeling the green plantains. They are really tricky and I have the scars to prove it.

Suggestion: buy frozen tostones (look for Goya tostones on the frozen food section). Enjoy!