How to Cook Rice: 9 Uncle Roger Rules for Fluffy, Never Mushy Rice, Right Before His First Cookbook Drops
If you have ever wondered how to cook rice that comes out fluffy instead of mushy, you are in good company. Comedian Nigel Ng, better known online as Uncle Roger, has built a huge following by watching people mess up a simple pot of rice. Now he has a cookbook on the way, and the good news is that perfect rice only takes a few easy rules..
Uncle Roger’s most famous video is his reaction to a BBC Food egg fried rice clip, which has passed 41 million views on YouTube. His reaction to Jamie Oliver’s egg fried rice has more than 31 million. Fans love the jokes, but they also learn a lot about rice along the way.
His first cookbook, Don’t Mess Up Your Rice: 70 Recipes to Impress Uncle Roger, comes out on November 3, 2026 from Simon & Schuster. It has a foreword by Gordon Ramsay, and the publisher says it covers kitchen basics like mastering the rice cooker and picking a wok, plus a whole chapter of fried rice.
Below are nine simple rules for how to cook rice at home, inspired by his favorite lessons, plus a basic stovetop recipe and an easy egg fried rice for the leftovers.
How to cook rice, rule 1: pick the right rice for the meal
Not all rice cooks the same way. Long grain jasmine rice is the everyday rice in many Chinese and Southeast Asian homes. It is soft, a little fragrant and the grains stay separate. Short grain rice is stickier and is the one to use for Japanese and Korean dishes. Basmati is longer and drier, and brown rice needs more water and more time. The recipe below is for white jasmine rice, the best place to start.
Rule 2: Rinse until the water runs almost clear
Put the rice in a bowl, cover it with cold water, swirl it with your hand and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat two or three times. The cloudy water is loose surface starch, and rinsing it away is the easiest trick for how to cook rice that is fluffy, not gummy. Drain it well so you do not add extra water by accident.
Craving something more filling once you have the basics down? Our fried rice dinners that use up day-old rice are the perfect next step, and they all start with a pot of good rice.
How to cook rice, rule 3: measure the water or use the knuckle trick
On the stove, use about 1 1/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of rinsed jasmine rice. Many Asian families skip the measuring cup and use the finger or knuckle trick: level the rice in the pot, rest your fingertip on top of it, and add water until it reaches your first knuckle. It works with any pot size, which is why grandmas have used it for generations.
Rule 4: Never drain rice like pasta
This is the moment that made Uncle Roger famous. In the BBC clip, the rice was boiled in lots of water and drained in a sieve, and his shocked reaction became a meme. For fluffy Asian-style rice, the rice should absorb all of its water in the pot. Nothing gets poured out at the end.
How to cook rice, rule 5: lid on, low heat, no peeking
Bring the rice and water to a boil, then put the lid on, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid. The steam trapped inside the pot is doing half the cooking, and every peek lets it escape.
How to cook rice, rule 6: rest, then fluff
When the timer goes off, take the pot off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 more minutes. The rice keeps steaming and the moisture spreads evenly, so the top is not wet and the bottom is not hard. Then fluff it gently with a rice paddle or fork, lifting from the bottom.
Rule 7: A rice cooker is the easy button
If you eat rice more than once a week, a simple rice cooker is worth it. Rinse the rice, add water to the line marked inside the pot, close the lid and press one button. It switches to warm when it is done. Uncle Roger’s cookbook even has a section on mastering the rice cooker, so this is one gadget he fully approves of.
Rule 8: Use day-old rice for fried rice
Fresh, warm rice is soft and steamy, so it turns clumpy in a hot pan. Cold rice from the fridge has dried out a little, and the grains separate and fry instead of steam. That is why so many cooks make extra rice on purpose and save it for fried rice the next day.
Rule 9: Cool and store leftover rice safely
Cooked rice can carry spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus that survive cooking, so leftovers should not sit out on the counter for hours. According to the USDA leftovers guidance, leftovers should go into the fridge within 2 hours, be eaten within 3 to 4 days, and be reheated to 165 F. Spread a big batch out in shallow containers so it cools quickly.
Recipe: how to cook rice on the stove
This is the simple, reliable method. It makes about 3 cups of cooked rice, enough for 3 or 4 people.
You will need
- 1 cup long grain jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cups cold water
- A pinch of salt (optional)
- A small pot with a tight-fitting lid
How to make it
- Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water 2 or 3 times, until the water is almost clear. Drain well.
- Put the rice, water and salt in the pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
- As soon as it boils, give it one gentle stir, put the lid on and turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a rice paddle or fork and serve.
Easy egg fried rice with leftover rice
Once you know how to cook rice, this is the best way to use the leftovers. Heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Scramble 2 beaten eggs until just set and push them to the side. Add 3 cups of cold day-old rice and break up the clumps. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then season with 1 to 2 tbsp of soy sauce, a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of MSG if you like it. Toss in 3 sliced green onions and serve hot.
Common rice problems and quick fixes
- Mushy or sticky rice: too much water or not enough rinsing. Use a little less water next time and rinse well.
- Crunchy rice: not enough water, or the lid was lifted. Sprinkle in 2 to 3 tbsp of water, cover and steam on low for 5 more minutes.
- Burnt bottom: the heat was too high. Use the lowest setting and a heavy pot, and do not skip the rest time.
- Bland rice: add a pinch of salt to the water, or cook it in light broth for a side dish.
Uncle Roger’s book lands on November 3, just in time for the holidays. Until then, try these rules this week and see if your rice would pass his test. Are you team pot or team rice cooker? And do you use the knuckle trick at your house?
