65p storecupboard ingredient that adds 'oomph' to rice - and it's not salt

A pot of rice is a popular accompaniment to many foods but it can often lack imagination. It usually adds little when it comes to flavour. Cooking the storecupboard staple can be hard to get right - both on texture and flavour.

Getting it spot on is sometimes a lucky hit between crunchy undercooked grains and a starchy overcooked side dish. Now expert has shared her top tips to adding "a little extra oomph" to "boring" rice. In a post on food blog The Kitchn , Emma Christensen explained her three simple steps to transforming the side-dish staple.



She explains: "Toasting the dry rice grains in a little butter or olive oil before adding the water brings out their flavour and adds a fantastic nutty note in the finished dish." She added: "I especially love doing this with brown rice and other whole grains like farro and barley." While most people will just add salt to the pot when cooking the rice Emma had a different idea.

She said incorporating just one additional ingredient into the pan can make a big difference - but she also had a warning. Emma proposed cooking the rice with chicken or vegetable stock saying the idea was "a no-brainer" if you have some spare. Packs of 12 of these storecupboard staples cost just 65p at Aldi making them under 6p a time.

But she advised: "I sometimes find that using 100% chicken broth can make the rice feel gummy or overly-starchy - personally, I usually go for a 50/50 mix of broth and water. This adds a layer of flavour and richness without going overboard." Her last tip is to season the rice with whatever you're already cooking.

She said: "Any aromatic herb or vegetable goes a long way toward adding a bit of intrigue to a simple pot of rice. "Very often, some of the same seasonings going into the main dish are great for the rice as well. I’ve found that whole spices are usually better for adding subtle flavours, while ground spices are great when we really want the rice to stand out on its own.

" She added: "I almost always add a bay leaf, no matter what I’m cooking for the main dish. Bay adds a slight woodsy-herbal flavour that compliments the flavours in a curry just as equally as a plate of roasted vegetables..