Simply steamed white rice prepared communally — the daily staple of Mizoram that is the foundation and centrepiece of every Mizo meal.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Wash the rice in cold water 3 to 4 times until the water runs mostly clear. Drain.
  2. Place washed rice in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid.
  3. Add 3.5 cups cold water and 1/2 tsp salt.
  4. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Stir once.
  5. Reduce to the absolute lowest heat.
  6. Cover tightly. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes without lifting the lid — the trapped steam is what cooks the rice evenly.
  7. Turn off heat. Rest the covered pot for 5 minutes.
  8. Fluff gently with a fork from the edges inward.
  9. The rice should be perfectly cooked — each grain separate and fluffy, with no stickiness from overcooking and no rawness from undercooking.
  10. Serve as the base of every Mizo meal.