The use of cereals for cooking requires special preparation. It is better to know in advance all the subtleties of the process, so that later you do not have to correct the mistakes made. It is mainly necessary to clarify: is it necessary to rinse the rice after cooking or is this not necessary?
Where to start
For cooking, the hostess daily has to use various cereals. Most often it is rice. It is used for side dishes, soups, salads and all kinds of hot dishes. For each of them, this cereal is the main ingredient, so its processing must be carried out in a certain way. In this regard, housewives often ask themselves the question: should rice be washed after cooking?
To answer it, you must first learn more about the product itself. In cooking, there are five main varieties of rice:
- Basmati This is a high-calorie product that contains a huge amount of different nutrients. True, due to the high content of amylase, it can lead to colic, constipation and obesity.
- Wild rice. It is also very useful, but has a rather specific taste.
- Long grain. Most often used for side dishes.
- Mid Grain It is especially good for first courses and risotto.
- Round grain. Used for making cereals and puddings.
This classification must be taken into account when choosing a method of processing products. Therefore, in order to understand whether it is necessary to rinse the rice after cooking, you first need to decide which dish you want to cook, and then choose the right type of cereal for it. Only in this case, you can count on a good result.
For puddings and cereals
In some cases, the final processing of boiled cereals can only spoil the appearance of the finished product. She will deprive him of those qualities that are necessary for a particular dish. Take, for example, viscous cereals. For their preparation, it is better to use round-grain rice. There is an explanation for this. A similar variety is usually grown in Russia, Italy, as well as in the fields of Japan and China. Such grains contain more starch than other types. As a result, they stick together during cooking and absorb a small amount of liquid. That is why such a variety is sometimes called "sticky". It is usually used for making viscous cereals or a variety of puddings. Jelly, which is formed during the cooking process, is created by amylopectin, which is located in the shell of the grains. Moreover, its gelling properties are already apparent at a fairly low temperature (55-58 degrees). Asian people use this product to make sushi. There is no need to achieve a friable consistency, therefore, there is not even a question of whether rice should be washed after cooking. The answer is obvious.
Cooking Rules
Cooking rice is a special process in which there are many subtleties. For example, you can cook such a product:
- in the microwave;
- in the oven;
- in a pan on the stove.
The last option is used by housewives most often. But not everything is so simple with him. Before you figure out how to cook rice in a pan, you need to determine what dish it is intended for. Most often, it is a side dish or a base for a salad. In this case, steamed or long-grain rice should be chosen. It is these two types that will allow you to get a truly friable product.
After that, you need to stop at one of two cooking options known in cooking:
- Normal.
- With pre-soaking.
The difference between them is that the cereal should be poured with water before cooking so that the liquid is 2-3 centimeters higher than the level of the product. In this state, rice must be kept for 1 hour. The moisture is partially absorbed, and the cereal will increase in volume. After that, you need to add water again, so that their levels are equal, and bring to a boil on fire. After reducing the flame, it is necessary to wait until the liquid evaporates. This may take 10-30 minutes. In conclusion, the container with the finished product should be tightly wrapped and set aside for 20 minutes. The first option will tell you how to cook rice in a pan without soaking. You just need to fill the cereal with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and cook in the same way. At the final stage, the product can be washed with slightly warm water. But this is not necessary.
Features of steamed product
The variety of varieties of popular cereals provides different methods for its preparation. Often, novice housewives wonder if steamed rice is washed? In this case, the answer will be mixed.
First, rice needs to be washed before cooking, if you want it to not stick together later. This condition is mandatory for all varieties. In addition, a similar procedure is provided for by the usual hygiene rules. Indeed, in the factory, the grains are covered with a layer of fine dust, which must be removed. Secondly, steamed rice in the production has already undergone special heat treatment, which is why it is intended for use in friable form. This feature of it eliminates the need for washing the product after cooking. There is simply no need for such a procedure. It can only do harm by making the side dish watery and its taste empty. Therefore, for steamed rice, there is a basic rule: it must be washed before cooking, but not after cooking.
Required condition
Everyone who is even a little familiar with cooking knows that before starting to cook, rice needs to be washed. This procedure takes a little time, but gives confidence in the cleanliness of the finished dish.
It only at first glance seems that the rice grains are absolutely pure. Their snow-white color, which is partially due to polishing, as well as the presence of starch in the surface layer, is sometimes misleading. In fact, any cereal carries dirt. To make sure of this, you just need to fill it in a bowl, and then add a little water and stir well. The liquid will immediately become cloudy. In part, this is starch, but mainly mechanical pollution resulting from production, storage and transportation takes place. To remove them, wet treatment must be carried out repeatedly. It is considered sufficient to fill the right amount of cereal with water 7 times, and then drain it after thorough mixing. The first 3-4 times you can use hot liquid, and in the final stages - cold.
Friable product
Different culinary specialists have their own idea of how to cook friable rice. Each of the proposed options in practice confirms its right to exist. For example, you can consider one of them.
To work, you will need a stainless steel pan, as well as 200 grams of rice, 300 milliliters of water, a little salt and 30 grams of animal oil.
Next, you must alternately perform the following steps:
- The first thing to do is rinse the cereals. The procedure is repeated 7 times, as advised by Japanese cooks.
- Pour rice into the pan.
- Pour it with warm water. Turn the lid upside down and seal it with a towel so that steam does not escape. You can even install a small load on top
- Make the strongest fire and wait 3 minutes. The mass will boil strongly, so it’s better to take a deeper pan.
- Reduce the flame by half and wait another 7 minutes.
- Keep the fire to a minimum and detect exactly 2 minutes.
- After this, the pan must be set aside for 10-12 minutes.
At the final stage, you need to open the lid, add salt, oil and stir the porridge well. It turns out perfectly crumbly.
The perfect complement
As you know, rice goes very well with meat or fish. It perfectly complements these products both in taste and in chemical properties. That is why it is most often used as a side dish. In this regard, the question arises: how to cook rice? Garnish can be done very quickly, if you follow one interesting technique.
To work, you will need the following components:
- rice
- water;
- salt;
- a couple of cloves of garlic;
- vegetable oil.
All work takes place in three stages:
- In a frying pan in oil, fry the peeled garlic. Previously, it can be incised to enhance the aroma.
- Throw out the teeth and warm the cereal in the aromatic oil until it becomes slightly transparent.
- Pour rice in a ratio of 1: 2 and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Then the pan must be removed from the stove and set aside for a while.
After the finished product stands a little under the lid, it can be safely laid out on plates. Such a side dish will also go well with any vegetables.