Instant microwaveable rice
We’re not talking Minute Rice, here, but rather precooked grain in a package. Put it in the microwave and a few seconds later you have a half-cup or so of white, brown or jasmine rice. The cost works out to around $5 a pound.
Rice is one of the world’s easiest things to make: bring a 2-to-1 ratio of water and swamp seed to a boil, reduce heat to barely simmering, and cook until all the water is absorbed. Depending on where you buy the rice (supermarket, ethnic market, dollar store, warehouse club) you’ll pay $1 a pound or less. Maybe a lot less.
Too slow? Fine. Here’s the right way to do instant microwaveable rice: Cook a few cups of the stuff and apportion it among small containers or food storage bags, then freeze it. It’s ready to nuke whenever you need it.