Steamed White Rice

Place the rice (3 cups) in a large bowl and add enough water to fully cover the grains. Use your fingers to grab handfuls and gently squeeze, then swirl the rice around. This rinses away dust and debris left over from production. Pour out the cloudy water and repeat this rinse two more times.

Add the clean, drained rice to the inner pot of a rice cooker, then pour in the water (3.3 cups). Chef Lau typically uses a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio, but adds an extra 1/4 cup so the grains come out extra tender for kids; you can also follow the measurement marks inside the pot. Wipe the bottom of the pot dry with a towel, set it into the rice cooker with the measurement marks facing front, close the lid, and select the jasmine rice setting.

Once the rice is done, let it sit for 2 more minutes to let the steam settle. Open the lid and, using a rice paddle or chopsticks, fluff the rice for about 1 minute before serving.