What Is Parboiled Rice?
Parboiled rice also called Ukda Chawal in Hindi & Converted Rice in English is rice which is Partially Boiled in the husk. There are three steps involved in the process which are soaking, steaming and drying. This process makes rice nutritious, changes its texture making it easier to process by hand.
The process itself is almost a couple thousand centuries old and is believed to have originated in Persia. It however, removes nutrients like thiamin from the bran to endosperm which means that parboiled white rice is nutritionally similar (80-85%) to brown rice. Presently, rice is parboiled in many countries like India, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Spain, Switzerland, Guinea, Italy, Thailand, Bangladesh etc.
The Basic Process
The process of parboiling begins before the hulling process.
Step 1 → The grain is soaked in water
Step 2 → The soaked grain is then steamed
Step 3 → The steamed rice is then dried for hulling
The steaming helps the rice to soak nutrients and change the starch composition making it firm and less sticky than regular white rice.
Some Benefits
Starch in the rice is gelatinized and stable making it harder and glassier.
The rice is rich in niacin, and has a high level of Vitamin B-6. This helps us metabolize our food into energy and helps in making hormones.
It take very less time to cook.
Easier to digest and much better in terms of nutritious quality when compared to raw rice.
It has long standing times as it stays fluffy post-cooking for a long time.
It absorbs more water proving a higher yield than ordinary rice.
It's rich in carbohydrates and has less fiber. The carbohydrates does not cause high blood sugar levels.
The rice has almost 2-3 percent of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium if consumed on a daily basis.
It is great in terms of diarrhea treatment in children.
Uses in the Kitchen
There are several uses of parboiled rice in the kitchen. The food is tastier, healthier and rich when cooked in this rice.
Dish (with this rice) can be spicy as well as bland but you won't feel a difference with the taste.
The rice could be used to make dishes like Idli, Dosa, and Khichdi.
Parboiled Khichdi is very tasty if eaten with pickles, raitas and other sour products.
Washing the rice with both palms in a rotary motion is a better thing to do as it avoids grain breakage.
The rice is wonderful and tastes great with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
How to Store
Parboiled rice has different properties and hence requires special attention. It should always be stored in air-tight containers and the storage time should not exceed more than 2 months as it could become rancid and smelly. The container should be placed in a cool and dry location. Cooked rice can be stocked up in the refrigerator for not more than 3-4 days.
Conclusion
Consumption of Parboiled rice is healthy and beneficial. However, it should be consumed in limited quantity as its properties differ from that of usual rice.
Nextech Solutions are India's leading provider of rice milling solutions. Contact them here: http://www.nextechagrisolutions.com/
The process itself is almost a couple thousand centuries old and is believed to have originated in Persia. It however, removes nutrients like thiamin from the bran to endosperm which means that parboiled white rice is nutritionally similar (80-85%) to brown rice. Presently, rice is parboiled in many countries like India, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Spain, Switzerland, Guinea, Italy, Thailand, Bangladesh etc.
The Basic Process
The process of parboiling begins before the hulling process.
Step 1 → The grain is soaked in water
Step 2 → The soaked grain is then steamed
Step 3 → The steamed rice is then dried for hulling
The steaming helps the rice to soak nutrients and change the starch composition making it firm and less sticky than regular white rice.
Some Benefits
Starch in the rice is gelatinized and stable making it harder and glassier.
The rice is rich in niacin, and has a high level of Vitamin B-6. This helps us metabolize our food into energy and helps in making hormones.
It take very less time to cook.
Easier to digest and much better in terms of nutritious quality when compared to raw rice.
It has long standing times as it stays fluffy post-cooking for a long time.
It absorbs more water proving a higher yield than ordinary rice.
It's rich in carbohydrates and has less fiber. The carbohydrates does not cause high blood sugar levels.
The rice has almost 2-3 percent of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium if consumed on a daily basis.
It is great in terms of diarrhea treatment in children.
Uses in the Kitchen
There are several uses of parboiled rice in the kitchen. The food is tastier, healthier and rich when cooked in this rice.
Dish (with this rice) can be spicy as well as bland but you won't feel a difference with the taste.
The rice could be used to make dishes like Idli, Dosa, and Khichdi.
Parboiled Khichdi is very tasty if eaten with pickles, raitas and other sour products.
Washing the rice with both palms in a rotary motion is a better thing to do as it avoids grain breakage.
The rice is wonderful and tastes great with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
How to Store
Parboiled rice has different properties and hence requires special attention. It should always be stored in air-tight containers and the storage time should not exceed more than 2 months as it could become rancid and smelly. The container should be placed in a cool and dry location. Cooked rice can be stocked up in the refrigerator for not more than 3-4 days.
Conclusion
Consumption of Parboiled rice is healthy and beneficial. However, it should be consumed in limited quantity as its properties differ from that of usual rice.
Nextech Solutions are India's leading provider of rice milling solutions. Contact them here: http://www.nextechagrisolutions.com/
