Cooked Thai whole-grain rice (brown, red and riceberry), with five ways to use it

Rinse the rice quickly, then cook it as for white rice in a rice cooker or a pot on the stove, one part rice to one and a half to two parts water.

Start with less water; more can be added, too much cannot be taken back.

Variation: rice salad. Use rice berry, warm or at room temperature, never fridge-cold; reheat refrigerated rice in the microwave. In a meat salad (lap), use half meat, half rice.

Variation: fried rice. Brown rice is preferred for its milder flavour and lighter colour. Cook the rice until the fibre jackets open and expose the starchy inside, so it absorbs the sauce; do not undercook.

Variation: soup. Stir cooked red rice into the soup at the end and simmer a couple of minutes to heat and absorb flavour.

Variation: congee. Red rice is not starchy enough alone; mix in white rice, half and half, or as little as a quarter white rice.

Variation: rice berry sushi. Cook with two parts water to one part rice so the grains burst and release enough starch to stick, then follow a regular sushi rice recipe.

Variation: rice pudding. Add some cornstarch slurry to bind the whole grain; Asian style topped with a little coconut milk and garnished with fruit, or Western style with some cream and vanilla.