How to cook brown rice properly?
In eastern countries, rice groats are considered a cultural asset. It is mentioned in the greetings of Asian peoples. With the right cooked product, the human body receives irreplaceable nutrients. Approach to the choice of rice varieties must be carefully. It depends on the variety what complex of vitamins is contained in the composition. Eating rice saturates the body, giving it a fairly long feeling of satiety.
Therefore, this product will perfectly fit into the diet of a person who is fighting extra pounds. Brown rice, which will be discussed below, is one of the most useful varieties of this crop. Thanks to him, a person acquires a slender figure and a healthy body.
Groats preparation
Basic knowledge of how to prepare brown rice groats for cooking will help you further in the preparation of white rice, a mixture with wild, barley and buckwheat porridge. Compliance with these simple recommendations will help to cook a tasty and crumbly dish that will bring great benefits to your body.
So, for starters, put the product in a deep container and fill it with the required amount of cool water, so that the liquid level is three centimeters higher than the rice cereal.
Next, vigorously stir the contents of the container. This is how you help dirt and dust from rice grains to rise to the top.After a few minutes, drain the water and repeat the procedure again. There is no recommended number of washes, it is necessary to repeat the procedure until the liquid to be washed becomes clear. This will indicate that this cereal crop is pure enough to continue its preparation.
Washing rice groats, regardless of variety, is considered a mandatory procedure due to the following circumstances:
- thanks to running water, dust and dirt are washed out from the surface of the rice grain, which enters during the transportation of the product to an industrial enterprise;
- the products that we see on the supermarket shelves are often subjected to special chemical treatment. It helps to increase the shelf life of rice cereal. During the washing process, rice grains partially get rid of the harmful shell, which makes further heat treatment more efficient.
Do not neglect this step, because thanks to it you will protect your body from harmful microorganisms and possible allergic reactions.
To prepare crumbly food soaking is a necessary step. In addition, during soaking, sufficiently dense rice grains become softer, which will help bring them to a ready state in a shorter time. At this stage, it is necessary to know that the washed brown rice grains actively absorb the aromas surrounding them. And the liquid used for cooking affects the taste of the finished dish. Therefore, the liquid that will be used to soak the rice groats must be clean, pre-boiled.
The use of tap water at this stage is unacceptable.Otherwise, rice groats acquire the characteristic taste of chlorine, which is part of tap water. Brown rice groats have an interesting taste, slightly reminiscent of the taste of hazelnuts.
To keep it until the end of the cooking process, it is advisable to use clean, warm water, to which a pinch of salt has been added.
For one kilogram of rice groats, you will need to stock up on three liters of clean and salted water. If you have the opportunity, buy mineral water in any supermarket, which contains minerals and vitamins vital for the human body. So you will increase the benefits of brown rice cereal. When deciding to use ordinary water, it is strongly recommended to boil it first.
The temperature regime of the soaking liquid also requires your attention. Experienced cooks advise using a liquid whose temperature will not allow potato starch to curdle. In other words, the temperature of the soaking liquid should not exceed sixty-two degrees.
Another interesting nuance when soaking rice cereal is the addition of salt. Not many people know about this and salt when the dish is almost ready. If for one kilogram of rice grains you used three liters of pure (or mineral) water, then for this volume of liquid you will need to add a little less than two tablespoons of salt.
This amount of salt will be sufficient for the rice grains to absorb the required amount of salt without taking too much. If you are faced with the fact that your cereal gives off some kind of extraneous aroma, then it is advisable to change the liquid during soaking two or three times. The soaking process, on average, takes two to three hours.This is how long it takes for the structure of the grains to soften and be ready for further cooking.
After the time has passed, the rice grits will need to be washed again. It is necessary to stock up on a five-liter container with a round bottom. Let it be something resembling a small basin. At this stage, it is extremely important not to use ice-cold or excessively hot water.
In the first case, rice grains will crack, which will subsequently lead to the boiling of cereals. And in the second - the use of hot water from the tap will actively fill the grains that absorb everything in a row with harmful substances from the water supply. When using boiled water, difficulties should not arise. So, washing, as in the first case, should be carried out until the liquid becomes transparent.
In the process of washing, do not rub the grits with your palms, otherwise it will give off a characteristic rice sediment. Lower your palms to the bottom of the container and lift the grits up with light movements. Repeat the procedure several times, then drain the water.
A clear liquid will indicate that the rice cereal is ready for further cooking. The process of preparing the brown variety seems to be very time consuming and at first can discourage the desire to cook it. However, if you follow these simple recommendations, your dish will turn out very tasty. Also, do not forget about the enormous benefits that come from eating just one serving of this cereal crop.
How much time to cook?
The cooking time of this type of grain is affected by the method you prefer. When deciding to use a slow cooker or a double boiler, the product will be cooked for at least twenty-five minutes (based on the basic parameters of the "Pilaf" mode).If you have qualitatively carried out the pre-treatment of the drilled cereal crop - repeated washing and soaking - then the cooking time is reduced by fifteen minutes.
If you want to get the traditional crumbly consistency, you must first boil the water, which takes an average of five minutes. Then bring the product to the finished state - at least thirty minutes. And leave the rice grains to infuse for another twenty-five to thirty minutes.
In general, cooking on the stove takes a little over sixty minutes. It is worth noting that the rather long process of preparing this cereal crop adversely affects its properties. When boiled in a boiling liquid for more than forty-five minutes, rice grains boil soft and lose most of the beneficial vitamins and minerals that are in the composition.
How to cook rice properly?
Once you have tried the brown variety, you will no longer be able to deny yourself this pleasure. This product can be consumed as an independent dish, lightly seasoned with soy sauce and spices, or as a side dish for all types of meat and fish. It is great to use rice for making low-calorie chicken cutlets. Rice is usually served with boiled vegetables.
So, let's move on to the process of cooking brown rice. This cereal crop has some features that must be observed in order to get a ready-made tasty dish.
First of all, the brown variety must be well cleaned of various contaminants and dust. To do this, the product is thoroughly washed in warm water. There is an ancient belief that rice is washed in seven waters.But in reality, it is necessary to wash the rice so many times that the water after washing becomes clear.
Washing rice is a very important step that should never be ignored. Since, in addition to dust, there are particles of a special substance on rice, which is used to process cereals during cultivation. These substances can be toxic and cause unpredictable reactions from the body, especially if the rice has not been cooked properly.
The next step is soaking the product. There is no consensus on this process. Cooks are divided into two camps - some believe that soaking rice is necessary, while the latter do not understand why waste time on this process. However, if we delve into the biological characteristics of rice grains, we will find that brown rice grains are denser in comparison with the white product we are used to. In order to soften the shell of brown rice, it must be soaked in clean water.
You will need a deep container with cold drinking water. Pour the required amount of rice and leave it for two to three hours; It is permissible to soak brown rice overnight. If possible, change the water (two or three times will be enough).
Regardless of the variety, friable rice is considered the most delicious. Therefore, as in the case of barley and buckwheat porridge, it is extremely important to follow the ratio of water and this product. So, to prepare one glass of brown rice, you need to take two and a half - three glasses of pure water.
Do not forget that the cereal is poured into the water, which is just starting to boil. This nuance is also reflected in the taste of the finished dish.
Cooking this cereal crop must be carried out on low heat. The duration of cooking takes about forty minutes. In the process of cooking cereals, in no case do not mix the contents of the pan. A couple of minutes before completion, it is permissible to lightly shake the pan once or twice. After the time has elapsed, it is advisable to wrap the container with cooked brown rice in a warm terry towel or blanket and leave for fifteen to twenty minutes. During this short period, the grains of rice will absorb the remaining water.
The long-grain version in bags in boiled form should be as soft and crumbly as possible. If it is solid, then hold it still under the lid.
A more modern method of cooking brown rice is to use a slow cooker. If you are a happy owner of this wonderful device, then cooking, firstly, will become much easier, since there is no need to periodically check the readiness of rice, and secondly, the cooking process in a slow cooker takes much less time. So, there are no significant differences between cooking brown rice in the traditional way and cooking it in a slow cooker.
To begin with, the cereal crop is thoroughly washed and soaked, and only then transferred to the multicooker bowl. Then you need to activate the "Pilaf" mode and wait for the sound signal about the end of the multicooker.
Regardless of the brand, any multicooker model contains a special compartment for boiling cereals. Before cooking, pour a small amount of water into it. A large volume of liquid will make the consistency more liquid; as a result, you will get rice porridge. This is done to soften the rice grains.
Helpful Tips
Each cereal has its own set of rules that help extend the shelf life of the product. They are quite simple, but ignoring them leads to the fact that rice groats begin to deteriorate and subsequently lose their beneficial properties. Following these recommendations will allow you to get all the benefits for your body from the product:
- store unpolished brown or brown rice at room temperature, in a dry and dark place;
- cereals are stored much longer in containers made of tinted glass or ceramics, the presence of a lid is welcome.
A little-known fact, but it is the use of this cereal that helps to lose extra pounds. Rich in vegetable fiber, the product helps to eliminate toxic substances, forcing them to literally “evacuate” from the intestinal area.
And the presence of a large amount of complex carbohydrates in the composition gives the body a false sense of satiety, thereby reducing appetite and preventing a person from overeating. If you are interested in removing excess fluid and unnecessary subcutaneous fat, it is recommended to arrange a fasting day with the help of low-calorie kefir and brown rice.
Choose a suitable day during which you do not have serious physical activity planned. On this day, you need to eat only properly cooked rice side dish and low-fat kefir. In twenty-four hours you will carry out an intensive cleansing of the intestines and the walls of the stomach.
You can learn more about how to cook brown rice in the next video.