If you ever wondered how to cook rice in a clay pot, you are going to love this recipe. Get light, fluffy, and perfectly tender rice every time!
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⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- Light & fluffy: Say goodbye to sticky or mushy rice, this tried and tested recipe yields perfect rice every time!
- Perfectly cooked: The rice is moist, and tender. Plus there no draining required!
- Versatile: You can serve the rice as is, or coat it with your favorite sauce, stir in cooked veggies, sautéed mushrooms, and more, to make a more complete meal.
- It stays warm for a long time: One of the other advantages of a clay pot is that it holds heat for a long time.
📘 What is a Clay Pot
A clay pot is a cooking pot that is made from clay and used to cook a variety of dishes like stews, grains, vegetables, or braised dishes. Clay pots are usually glazed and come with a lid.
It is also said that clay pots can provide health benefits by adding many nutrients to the cooked foods like calcium, iron, and magnesium.
🍚 How to Make Clay Pot Rice
Cooking rice in a clay pot is easy and requires just 3 ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Basmati rice - White basmati rice is my favorite, it has a floral and nutty aroma. Most types of white rice will work though, so feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Water - I use a ratio of 1 cup of water per ¾ cup of rice.
- Green onions - Optional, but sautéing green onions before adding the rice brings more flavor.
The process is very straightforward:
- Soak rice for 35-40 minutes. This step will allow the grains to soak up some water and soften a little bit.
- Sauté green onions for 1-2 minutes. This step is optional but the green onions bring a lot of flavor and add some color!
- Drain the rice and add it to the clay pot.
- Cover with water.
- Bing to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Next, remove from heat and let it steam covered for another 5 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve!
Optional Sauce
If serving this rice with a curry or other salty sides, omit the sauce and add a pinch of salt before cooking.
However, if you plant to serve the rice as is, I HIGHLY recommend the sauce! Combine soy sauce with some sugar and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Then pour it over the cooked rice and stir to coat! The combination of black pepper with the scallions and soy sauce is dreamy!
🍛 What to Serve with This Rice
You can serve this rice as is or with:
- Curry: like this Easy Vegan Vietnamese Curry, Instant Pot White Bean Curry, Cauliflower Tikka Masala, or this Easy Dal Palak!
- Toppings: Rice is delicious topped with salty toppings like Vegan Meat Floss, Spicy Pickled Cucumbers, or Fermented Tofu.
- Vegan tofu meatballs: These moist and tender tofu meatballs make the perfect accompaniment, bringing enough protein to make it a complete meal.
💬 FAQ
- Why should I cook rice in a clay pot? The main advantage of a clay pot is that it is porous, allowing the food to stay moist. I also personally think it adds a very subtle earthy/nutty flavor to the food.
- Which size of clay pot should I use for this recipe? For one batch of this recipe, a 8-inch (20cm) clay pot is perfect and serves about two people. Feel free to double the recipe if using a larger clay pot.
- Can I skip the soaking step? I do not recommend skipping this step, as it really helps get a perfectly cooked rice.
- Will this recipe work with brown rice? I haven't tried it yet, but unless you are using brown rice with a long cooking time (30-40 minutes), it should work.
If you own a clay pot, you should definitely try cooking rice in it! It yields moist and fluffy rice with a nuttier flavor!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Perfect Clay Pot Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- ¾ cup white basmati rice soaked for 35-40 minutes
- 1 cup water
Optional Sauce
- 1 and ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 8-inch clay pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped green onions and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Drain the rice and add it to the clay pot. Cover with the water and give it a quick stir.
- Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let simmer covered for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the clay pot covered off the heat for another 5 minutes.
- Using a fork to fluff the rice and enjoy!
- If using the sauce: combine the soy sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Pour the sauce into the rice and stir to coat.
Hi Thomas,
I inherited my mother's clay pot to cook beans. I always thought it could only be used to cook in the oven. The pot was made in the USA and does not say anything else.
Do you think I can cook rice in it on the stove?
Always love your recipes.
Stay safe.
Carol Ann
Hi Carol,
Well, it depends on the kind of clay pot you inherited. This recipe is specifically made for glazed round clay pots. If your clay pot is brown and has a matte surface, it should probably only be used in the oven. I have a guide on cooking with clay pots in the works, stay tuned!
Thanks for your kind words 🙂
Where do I find a clay pot? How can I be sure it is safe for cooking? Ie no poison glazes? How would I take care of it?
Thx
You can find clay pots online or in most Asian stores. It is safe for cooking, as it is a cooking tool.
I have a guide on clay pots coming soon, so stay tuned 😉
I got my clay pot as a gift from a friend. And voila, here I am to make some good dish for my family. Thanks for the recipe. The rice is really tender and moist. Plus, it tastes heavenly 😀
Thank you Miyuki! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this clay pot rice!