What happens if you don’t rinse rice?
In this brief article, we will answer the question, “What happens if you don’t rinse rice”. We will further elaborate on the method of rinsing rice, as well as the reasons and benefits of rinsing rice.
What happens if you don’t rinse rice?
If you don’t rinse rice, they will gelatinize.
Before cooking, it is very essential to rinse rice. In case rice is not rinsed, when these are added to hot water during cooking, they will gelatinize, making them stick to each other.
Also, the texture of unrinsed rice is very gummy. Because of soaking, rice absorbs water which gives it a leg up on cooking. Rice will not be dried while cooking and will have a better and more even texture.
Which chemicals are removed after the rice is rinsed?
One of the main chemicals present in rice that are un-rinsed is the inorganic chemical arsenic. The basic reason which makes rinsing rice very essential is that arsenic is very harmful. It causes chronic health problems.
As the growth of rice takes place in flooded paddies, these facilitate the transfer of arsenic to rice. As compared to all other grains, rice takes more arsenic in flooded paddies.
How to rinse rice?
The below-mentioned steps clearly explain how the rinsing of rice is carried out.
- After pouring the rice into a wide bowl, the rice is stirred. A rice-draining colander can be utilized as an alternative to the bowl as its small holes facilitate the slow draining of water.
- In the bowl, water is filled. Rice is placed in that water. Water content must be thrice as compared to rice. By using clean hands, rice is stirred and rubbed. Due to this starch is removed.
- Bowl is tilted to remove starchy water. Along with water, any floating debris from the rice is removed. In case water is not clear, the same process is repeated. It will be repeated until drained water is crystal clear.
- Rice is pressed gently. Cleaning of the rice is done thoroughly so that it attains a fluffy texture. Then rice grains are polished.
- More water is added after a few more punches. This water is swirled and removed. The procedure is repeated until the water gets clear.
- In the last step, wet rice is transferred to a mesh sieve to drain. There they are soaked for about thirty minutes. Due to this, the moisture present on the rice soaks into the center of the grain. The texture becomes even on cooking.
Can rice be rinsed after cooking?
No, rice can’t be rinsed after cooking. The only right way is to rinse rice before cooking. Rinsing of cooked rice will lead to the removal of nutrients from them. These nutrients are carbohydrates and proteins.
The only valid reason to rinse rice after cooking is if someone wants their rice to become soggy and sticky.
What are the benefits of rinsing rice?
Removal of debris: Chances of the presence of debris in medium to long sized rice are high. This debris can hinder the smooth cooking of rice. This rinsing helps to remove this debris.
Removal of chemicals: During the milling procedure, some chemicals are inculcated in rice. These chemicals can cause some chronic health problems. That’s why it is essential to remove these by rinsing.
To avoid clumping of rice: Un-rinsed rice undergoes clumping because of the presence of dirt. When rice is rinsed, starch is removed which causes the clumping of rice.
Improves the texture of rice: The texture of rice that has not undergone rinsing is gummy. So rinsing improves the texture of rice from gummy to smooth.
Improves the smell of rice: Cooked rice smells more pleasant if they are rinsed before cooking.
Enhances the shelf life: The shelf life of rinsed rice is more as compared to un-rinsed rice. The reason behind this is that rinsed rice doesn’t spoil faster.
Health benefits: In un-rinsed rice, many harmful chemicals like arsenic are present. This arsenic is very harmful to health. Arsenic causes some serious health problems which can be avoided by rinsing rice.
What are the disadvantages of rinsing rice?
Following are some of the drawbacks of rinsing rice. Due to these disadvantages, some people don’t prefer rinsing before cooking.
Removal of important nutrients: Many important nutrients like iron, folate, and thiamin are removed along with the removal of harmful chemicals. Due to the removal of these important nutrients, many body functions are disrupted.
Anemia: Some people who entirely use rice can become anemic. The reason for this is because during rinsing iron is removed due to which iron becomes deficient in the body.
Other FAQs about Rice that you may be interested in.
Does rice have to be refrigerated?
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have provided an answer to the question, “What happens if you don’t rinse rice?”. We will further elaborate on the method of rinsing rice, as well as the reasons and benefits of rinsing rice.
References
https://www.thechoppingblock.com/blog/is-rinsing-rice-really-required
https://www.wikihow.com/Rinse-Rice
https://www.mashed.com/189311/reasons-you-should-wash-your-rice-and-reasons-you-shouldnt/
