Rice is part of my daily diet, and I always (always!)
wash it before cooking it.
Heres how I do it properly, every time.
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In South India, its an every day, every meal kind of food.
We ferment it, fry it on pans, pull it into stringsbut mostly, we boil it.
No matterhow we choose to eat it, though, we never forget to wash it.
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Ethnic instinct, I would call it.
But heres the thingyoudont have to.
Rice cleaners are pedantic and nit-picky.
Credit: Andy Lyons
Non rice-cleaners are lazy.
The answer, in short, is that washing rice is not about hygiene.
Its a texture thing.
Wash your rice if you want fluffy, separate grains.
Skip the extra step if you want creamy, starchy rice.
Washing rice primarily removes starch.
Whether you have to wash your rice or not mainly depends on how starchy you want your dish.
If you use a rice cooker, unwashed rice can also cause starch bubbles and gum up your cooker.
Swirl the rice gently with your hand to loosen the surface starch.
The water will become cloudy as the starch is released.
Be cautious not to lose any grains during this step.
Ive found this step to be particularly helpful for long-grain and short-grain rice varieties.
The same holds true for paella or rice pudding.
This ensures the rice achieves the desiredsticky consistencywithout becoming overly gummy.
Pre-Washed or Enriched Rice
Some rice is labeled as “pre-washed” or “enriched.”
Pre-washed rice has already been rinsed, so washing it again is unnecessary.
Enriched rice has added nutrients, which can be washed away if rinsed.
Always check the packaging to determine if your rice falls into these categories.
