[Ladybug10]

Hey everyone. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make brown rice taste better? I switched over from white rice a couple of weeks ago and it has been a big help on my weight loss but I'm not the biggest fan of the taste.

[Misti in Seattle]

This is not how to make the rice itself taste better... but a great idea in using brown rice for lunch, etc., is to pour a bit of healthful -- vegetable, etc. -- soup over it. Very tasty and filling

[Suzanne 3FC]

I think the variety you choose matters as well. Brown basmati rice, IMO, has a much better flavor than regular brown.

There are other whole grain rices that are just as or even more nutritious than brown, with different flavor profiles. Black forbidden rice is whole grain and is loaded with antioxidants, comparable to blueberries. I love the flavor of this rice more than all other rices. There are pink and red whole grain rices as well, such as Madagascar rice or Himalayan Red rice.

Two companies that offer unusual and very delicious varieties of whole grain rices are http://www.lotusfoods.com/ and http://www.lundberg.com/

[Esofia]

Try lots of different rices until you find one you like. Organic brown basmati tastes better than ordinary brown basmati in my experience, and I'm very fond of brown jasmine rice.

[josey]

Not sure of how to make rice better in general but you can use different spices while cooking it. For an indian flavouring I usually throw in two cardamon pods (green), one cinnamon sticks and two or three cloves.

I love this recipe and it is actually better with brown rice or wild rice mix than normal white:

http://www.marthastewart.com/354823/...chorizo-paella

You just need to add a bit more water and bake it longer (until done).

The method works with any veggies and meat combination you can imagine.

[Rana]

I mix brown rice with a legume, like chickpeas. I made the brown rice first (basmati organic). Then, I take a saute pan, add olive oil, when that's hot, add chopped onions, salt and cumin. I let it cook there for a little while, then add cooked (canned or premade) chickpeas to the mixture. I let it sit there for a while, in low heat. I add chopped up parsley, then the brown rice. I let it sit there for a while longer after mixing it all up.

Very delish! The nutty flavor of the brown rice mixes well with the other spices/foods.

Brown rice takes a while to get used to eating it. It had a distinct taste compared to the white "flavorless" rice. You just have to play around with the different types and the different foods that go along with it.

[Misti in Seattle]

Instead of steaming it in water, I use unsalted broth... either chicken or veggie. Adds a lot of flavor

[popspry]

Are you making it with aromatics (onions, spices)? That really helps soak flavor in. Also broth.

[3FCer344892]

Toss a couple bouillon cubes into the water while it's cooking.

[lin43]

Originally Posted by Esofia

Try lots of different rices until you find one you like. Organic brown basmati tastes better than ordinary brown basmati in my experience, and I'm very fond of brown jasmine rice.

I only buy organic brown basmati rice. I flavor the water in which I cook it with organic Better than Buillon (an all-natural chicken paste). Honestly, to me, it tastes so good that I have to freeze one-serving portions of it so that I don't just eat it with a spoon from the pot. I much prefer its taste to white rice.

[Ladybug10]

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas!

[LAgreeneyes]

Glad that I found this thread. I am also having a hard time eating brown rice. I cooked some this weekend and I couldn't swallow it. It was horrible.

[pattyhues]

As a substitute for the brown rice try whole wheat noodles or steamed vegetables,or baked potatoes
However for lunch you could always try a stir fry with whole wheat macaroni (penne) in place of the egg noodles and loaded with just about every vegetable you have.
Or you can bake your chicken breasts in advance and use them as a sandwich meat also.

[124chicksinger]

In a tsp. of olive oil, quick stir fry chopped onions red peppers celery and shredded carrots. Add a splash of soy sauce and/or terriaki sauce, salt, pepper. Add 1 more tsp. of oil and toss in the rice to crisp it. Of course, you get a big bang for the veg, but then there are the 2 tsp. of oil to account for. However, if you're having it as a side dish the oil calories get diluted by the serving sizes. My family loves this side with chicken (any style) or ham steak.

[carter]

I've been eating bulgur lately instead of brown rice - it compares favorably in protein, calories, and fiber, and on top of that (to my palate at least) tastes much, much better.

I make it by first toasting 1 cup of dried bulgur in a tbsp of olive oil in the pan on the stove - I'm going to get 4-6 portions out of this so I don't mind the extra calories, but if you are worried about that you can probably toast them dry. Then add 1.5 cups of chicken broth or veggie broth and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Finally replace the cover with a towel and let it sit off the heat for another 15-20 minutes. Fluff up the grains, and try not to let it all jump into your mouth before it reaches the plate.

Seriously - this was a great discovery for me. I love this stuff. Bulgur all the way!