Can I mix rice of different grains and cook them together?

I'm making a simple pork and rice bowl for dinner tonight, and am trying to use up some leftover uncooked rice. I have a little medium grain rice, and a little long grain rice. What would happen if I combine them and then cook them together?

Hollie O'Connor
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6 Comments

ChefJune October 21, 2015
Works fine as long as the cooking times are similar. White and brown rice - for instance - wouldn't work well because the brown rice takes at least twice the time that white rice does.
One of my favorite combinations is brown and wild rice. I like to make a one dish dinner with those - making a pilau of the rices with onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms, then adding sauteed chicken livers a few minutes before serving. Now I'm hungry! ;)
 
Greenstuff October 21, 2015
I do it all the time. My old rice cooker handled it really well, my new model not so much.
 
Nancy October 21, 2015
Agree with Monita.
When I have this problem, I cook each rice or grain separately, then combine them in main dish, where the contrast often works to make the dish more interesting.
 
Kim W. October 20, 2015
You can, and it's a fun experiment to try. You could be scientific about it and add the rice to the mixture in stages (based on varying recommended cooking times per grain) or you could just go with the longest cooking time and expect the faster cooking grains to blend in and add a creamy consistency. Check out this article for a quinoa/rice mixing
http://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tip-try-mixing-grains-85355
 
Monita October 20, 2015
As long as they are both white or both brown rice then mixing them together will be fine. But I wouldn't mix together a white and brown rice because their cooking times differ
 
Hollie O. October 20, 2015
Thank you!
 
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