In grocery stores, parboiled rice is sold along with regular rice. The name of this product indicates that the grains have been subjected to a special treatment. Why is it produced, and how does steamed rice differ from regular rice? Let's try to figure this out.

How is parboiled rice obtained?

For the production of such cereals, after pre-soaking, the grains are steamed under pressure. In this case, the rice is in an uncleaned state. At the end of the steam treatment, the mass of grains is dried, and then they are polished. Rice looks slightly dark at the exit, but dishes from it do not differ in color from those prepared from ordinary cereals. As for white rice, to obtain it, the grain delivered from the fields is not placed under fallow, but is immediately polished.

Comparison

What is the effect of steam? It allows you to get cereal best quality. The difference between parboiled rice and regular rice lies primarily in its high nutritional value. The fact is that in the collected grains, the most useful is not the inner part, but the shell. Steam and pressure promote the movement of important components from the outer layers deep into the grain. At the same time, ordinary rice is just a polished grain, devoid of its valuable shell.

It should be noted that positive changes occur in the grains after thermal treatment. The starch in them is partially folded and converted into glucose, which our body perceives better.

In addition to the usefulness of steamed rice, another property of this product is of great importance. The point is that such cereals are much easier to cook than regular rice. Due to the low content of gluten, steamed grains retain their integrity during cooking. They only become soft, but do not collapse and do not stick together. It is also convenient that dishes from such rice can be enjoyed with pleasure even after heating. The cereal will not be sticky and its taste will be preserved.

Knowing the difference between steamed and regular rice, you can decide which one to give preference to once again. Steamed rice is indispensable in cases where the friability of the dish is important. For example, it is good to cook pilaf or a regular side dish from such cereals. But if rice should be boiled in porridge, broth or other dish, it is better to use cereals that are not steamed, and preferably a round-grain variety.

After a special steam treatment, rice grains acquire an amber translucent color.

Steamed rice is very easy to cook - it turns out friable, the grains do not stick together even if they are reheated. For this reason, most cooks choose rice that has been steamed - both porridge and other dishes from it are simply delicious.

If you reheat the cooled rice, you can make sure that it has not lost its taste. But it should be borne in mind that steamed rice loses about a fifth of its beneficial properties during steaming.

How to prepare rice for cooking

Place the rice in a container about twice as large as the amount of cereal. In such a container it will be more convenient to carry out washing. Fill the rice with water, dip your hand into it and begin to perform, as it were, massaging movements. Drain the water and refill the container with it. Rinse the cereal for about 3-5 minutes.

Soak the washed rice in cold water for half an hour. After this time, put the cereal on a sieve to drain the liquid.

Ways to cook rice

Take a pan with a thick bottom, pour the grits from the sieve into it, fill it with water again. The ratio should be as follows: for one part of rice, 1.25 parts of water. Put the pot on high heat, but do not close the lid. Wait for the contents to boil. Then the heat must be reduced.

To cook rice correctly, it is important to adhere to a clear technology. Photo: thinkstockphotos.com

Cover the pot with a lid and let the rice simmer for another 25 minutes. After that, add salt to the cereal, you can put butter.

According to the recommendations of some cooks, rice without pre-soaking should be immersed in boiled water and boiled for half an hour. In this version, the ratio should be as follows: for one and a half cups of rice, you need a liter of liquid. The proportions must be observed as carefully as possible, and the lid should not be removed from the pan during cooking.

Now you can remove the lid, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a towel. Leave for 10 minutes. Steam will come out of the rice, excess moisture, it will become dry and crumbly.

Rice can be served as a side dish with fish, meat, used as an ingredient in appetizers and salads. Rolls, sushi and other oriental dishes are hard to imagine without it. Rice can be used in sweet and savory, spicy and spicy dishes, it is suitable for desserts and puddings, as well as for casseroles - everything will depend on the imagination of the chefs.

There are 3 more ingenious rice cooking rules you should know, watch the video!

First, rinse the rice and soak it for a while (about half an hour) in cold water. We spread the rice on a sieve and let the water drain. We put the cereal in a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom), fill it with water (the ratio is 1 part rice to 1.25 parts water). Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave the rice for 25 minutes. Rice is ready. Add salt and butter to it.
Some recommend, without soaking, immerse rice in already boiled water and cook for 25 minutes. The ratio of rice and water is 1.5 cups of rice per 1 liter of liquid. The main thing is to keep the proportions and not open the lid of the pan while cooking cereals.

Note also that the amber hue of rice disappears after cooking. It becomes incredibly snow-white, beautiful, like ordinary polished rice. In addition, steamed rice, even after repeated heating, will remain just as tasty and crumbly.

Rice is loved by many families for its beneficial qualities, soft taste and consistency. Housewives prefer to cook cereals for a side dish, and this is not surprising. Boiled rice goes well with fish, meat, stewed vegetables, mushrooms. Due to its versatility, the dish will not leave indifferent even the most sophisticated gourmet. However, during the cooking process, difficulties may arise associated with the heat treatment of a particular rice variety.

How to cook steamed rice for a side dish

  1. A feature of this type of rice is considered to be its hard shell. First you need to rinse the grains under plenty of water. It is necessary to exclude white plaque, after washing the water should become transparent.
  2. Then you need to soak the rice. To do this, pour the grains into a deep bowl or pan, fill with purified water. The holding time is 35-45 minutes, during which time the shell will soften.
  3. Now you can start cooking. Pour 500 ml into a saucepan. water, optionally add your favorite spices or take as a basis chicken bouillon. Salt the liquid, bring to a boil.
  4. For 0.5 l. water accounts for 200 gr. rice grains. Pour them into boiling liquid, mix immediately. Switch the burner to the minimum mark, cook the rice under the lid for 20 minutes.
  5. When the set time has elapsed, remove the dishes from the stove, add butter (optional). Close the container with a lid, let the rice brew for a quarter of an hour. Use as a garnish.

How to cook long rice for a side dish

  1. Long-grain rice is high in starch and foreign dust, so rinsing is indispensable. Put the composition in a sieve or bowl, pour water 6-7 times. When the liquid becomes clear, proceed to the next step.
  2. Prepare heat-resistant cooking utensils, it should have a thick bottom and sides. Put rice grains in a saucepan in an amount of 200 gr., Pour 450 ml. filtered water room temperature. Do not add salt at this stage.
  3. Send the container to the fire, set the average power. Bring the mass to a boil under a closed lid. Now the rice can be salted to taste. Set the fire to maximum, simmer for 5 minutes, reduce to a minimum.
  4. Continue to cook rice for another 12-15 minutes under the lid. You do not need to mix the composition, otherwise the grains will stick together and form porridge. After the allotted time has passed, turn off the burner.
  5. Add a piece if you like. butter. Let the garnish brew for 15 minutes, for best effect, place a towel over the pan. Start tasting.

  1. Cooking begins with the preparation of grains. This step cannot be skipped, as it sets the tone for the entire dish. To start manipulations, it is necessary to pour the rice into a sieve, then rinse under the tap 5-7 times.
  2. You can carry out the procedure in a colander. After all the steps, the water should become completely transparent. It is this feature that says that you can go further.
  3. Now move the grains into a deep bowl or basin, fill with filtered water and wait 20-30 minutes. During this period, the rice will soften a little, it will be easier to work with it.
  4. You can start cooking. Drain the liquid, rinse the cereal again under the tap. Take a thick-bottomed saucepan, add 2 parts water to 1 part rice.
  5. Do not throw the grains yet, salt the water. Put on the stove, wait for the first bubbles to appear. When the salt granules dissolve, add 30 ml. vegetable or olive oil.
  6. Pour the rice into the boiling liquid, immediately begin to stir. Reduce the power of the burner to medium, close the pan with a lid. Cooking time is 12-15 minutes.
  7. Throughout the heat treatment, rice should not be stirred. Otherwise, the grains will stick together, you will not be able to use the cereal for a side dish.
  8. After the specified period, turn off the fire, do not open the dishes. Put a towel on the pan, wait a third of an hour. Many housewives prefer to add butter at this stage.

How to cook black rice for a side dish

  1. Groats need to be processed in advance. Rich black rice is difficult to prepare, so stick to the basic instructions. Sort dry grains, put in a saucepan and fill with running water.
  2. Wait a certain time for the rice to settle to the bottom, and the excess dust to remain at the top. Drain the liquid, repeat the steps 4-5 more times. With each soak, intensively knead the grains. When all the dirt is removed, move on.
  3. It is advisable to soak black rice in water at room temperature, it will become softer and more pliable. To do this, pour the filtered liquid into a bowl, pour in the grains, leave overnight (at least 7 hours).
  4. Start cooking on the stove. Prepare a thick-walled pan, fill it with water so that 1 part of rice is 3 parts of filtered water. Don't add grains just yet.
  5. Bring the liquid to the appearance of the first bubbles, adhering to the maximum mark. Pour black rice into boiling water, wait for it to boil again.
  6. When this happens, reduce the power of the stove to a minimum, add salt to taste. Cover with a lid, simmer exotic cereals for about 25-30 minutes. During this time, the rice will soften and cook.
  7. Remove the dishes from the fire, put the cereal in a colander or sieve. Rinse from a pitcher of filtered water to remove excess starch. Now scald the composition with boiling water, wait a bit, serve.

  1. Cooking brown rice always starts with pre-rinsing. This must be done to remove dust and starch residue. Throw the composition on a sieve, rinse under the tap. You need to bring the water to a transparent state.
  2. Now scald the grains with boiling water to seal the beneficial elements inside the shell. Put the rice in a bowl, fill with purified water, soak overnight. If you do not have a lot of time left, cut the duration to 4-5 hours.
  3. Move the soaked rice to a thick-bottomed pan, pour 20 gr. salt per 250 gr. grains. Now add 650-800 ml. purified water, send the cooking utensils to the stove. Stir, bring to a boil.
  4. Cover the container with a lid, cook at maximum heat for about 7 minutes. Next, turn down the power to a mark between medium and minimum. Stir the composition, simmer the cereal for another half hour, do not open the dishes.
  5. After the specified period, turn off the burner, add a slice of butter (optional), put a towel over the lid. Let the garnish stand for 30-45 minutes, then arrange on plates.

How to cook red rice for a side dish

  1. Red rice is an unpolished type, so the grains must be sorted out before cooking. Remove foreign debris and damaged copies. For convenience, spread the rice on the table one handful at a time.
  2. When the entire volume of grains has been sorted out, spread the rice in a thin layer on the work surface. Once again, evaluate if there are any pebbles, crushed elements, or husks in the composition. If necessary, eliminate all unnecessary.
  3. Put the red rice in a deep bowl, rinse under the tap until the water is completely clear. You will need 5-8 repetitions.
  4. If desired, rice can be soaked in water at room temperature and left for 2 hours. If you do not have time, start cooking. Pour 0.6 liters into the pan. filtered water, add 0.2 kg. rice, add 10 gr. salt.
  5. Put the container on the fire, cook at maximum power. When the water boils, remove the foam, cover the container with a lid, reduce the burner to a minimum.
  6. After 35-45 minutes, evaluate the consistency of the grains, they should be soft. If the cereal crunches on the teeth, simmer the rice for another 10 minutes. Turn off the burner, leave the side dish under the lid for a quarter of an hour.
  7. In some cases, the liquid in which the cereal is cooked acquires a brownish tint. In such situations, drain it immediately after boiling, add new water. Salt the dish 5 minutes before cooking.

  1. The difficulty of cooking wild rice is that the grains are quite hard. The shell of the bran type restrains useful enzymes, the shell does not boil well.
  2. Rice must be soaked before cooking. Due to this, the water will wash out the starch, making ready meal crumbly and useful. To soak, rinse the cereal under the tap 5-7 times, the water should not be cloudy.
  3. Next, pour the rice into a bowl, fill with filtered water, leave for 6 hours. After the specified time has passed, rinse the grains again. You can increase the soaking time up to 10 hours for healthier sprouted rice.
  4. After washing and soaking, you can start heat treatment. Pour 750 ml into a brewing dish. clean water, salt, put the container on the stove. Wait for the bubbles to appear, then add the rice and cover the pot with a lid.
  5. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring. Now reduce the heat to a minimum, cook the wild rice for another half an hour. It does not need to be stirred, otherwise you will get porridge. Readiness is determined by visual inspection, rice grains increase 3-4 times.

Regardless of the type of rice, do not neglect the preliminary preparation. You need to rinse and soak the cereal, then you can start cooking. delicious side dish It is obtained from all varieties of rice grains, but the brown, black, wild, steamed and red composition is considered the most useful.

Video: how to cook friable rice

Many consumers, when buying parboiled rice in the store, vaguely imagine the difference between this cereal and other types, for example, ordinary white polished rice. Most buyers have heard the opinion of nutritionists that in the process of cleaning and polishing cereal products lose a large amount of useful substances. Outwardly, such cereals are brownish in color, vitreous and slightly transparent, much more useful substances are stored inside it.

The benefits and harms of steamed rice

The process of steaming rice takes place in an unpeeled state, so a large amount of minerals from the rice peel pass into the grain. And this is the main factor in what parboiled rice is useful for. During processing, rice goes through several stages - soaking the whole unpeeled grain, steaming and pressure treatment, drying and polishing. It is this processing of grain that allows you to save a maximum of useful substances in rice.

Useful properties and features of steamed rice:

  • preservation of vitamins and minerals inside the grain during grain processing;
  • more vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are not lost during the cooking process;
  • lack of fat and cholesterol;
  • low content of gluten and starchy substances, which eliminates the sticking of grains;
  • less time for cooking;
  • almost twice the volume of the resulting dish due to the absorption of water.

The calorie content of raw steamed rice does not differ significantly from simple polished cereals, but in finished form due to more water the energy value meals below. Porridge from white rice in 100 g has about 123 kcal, from steamed rice 110-116 kcal.

To harmful properties rice can be attributed to the fact that one of its properties is to reduce intestinal motility. People prone to constipation need to combine rice with vegetables, fruits and dried fruits.

Steamed rice for weight loss

For everyone who is watching their weight or trying to lose weight, nutritionists suggest using steamed rice as the main product for a diet or unloading days. Also based on rice some types of therapeutic diets and systems for cleansing the body have been built.

For weight loss, rice is often used, which is recommended to be observed for three days. At this time, you need to eat only boiled rice without adding salt and oil. Due to the fact that steamed rice has a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, and is also a very nutritious product, this method of quickly getting rid of extra pounds is considered the most gentle.

For longer diets, rice is used as a side dish, combined with lean meats and various types of vegetables. Such a diet menu can be used for quite a long time without fear for the health of the body.