What’s Cooking...
stuff is done in large factories using machines that are used to sort and pack a variety of items and not exclusively the rice I buy. Actually, if you check on many packages of food items it will say that X, Y or Z was packed in a facility or used a facility that also processes peanuts, dried beans and other grains. This notice is important particularly for people who may have allergies to certain foods. Secondly, I wash rice to get rid of some (not all) of the starch because I want when the rice is cooked, that the grains be separate and not stuck together.
Is it absolutely necessary to wash rice before cooking it? It depends. Take into consideration the source – where you purchase your rice, the packaging, and your personal preference. There are times when we do away with what is normal for us when we follow recipe instructions. For example, when making Italian risotto, it is recommended that the rice not be washed so that while cooking, the starch released, forms the base for the creaminess of the finished dish.
Soaking
The soaking of rice is also a cultural practice we employ though on a very small scale; it is much more prevalent in other parts of the world. The purpose of soaking rice is to soften the grain and shorten the cooking time; it is a process that improves the texture of the rice when cooked.
Not all varieties of rice are suitable for soaking. The grains that take a longer time to cook and need a lot of liquid to cook are perfect for this pre-cooking application. Brown rice and parboiled rice, which are less processed varieties of rice, benefit from soaking. Certain varieties of white rice such as Basmati also benefit from soaking. The rice is soaked in room temperature water after is has been washed/rinsed. There is no exact amount of water required; a general rule of thumb is that the water should at least be 2 inches above the rice. There is a physical change in brown and parboiled rice, after being soaked for at least an hour - the grains lighten in colour and swell due to the intake of water. With Basmati, as the rice takes in water it changes colour, going from being almost translucent to white.
The sturdier rice – brown, parboiled – should be soaked for at least 1 hour and can be soaked for up to 3 hours. Even if they are soaked beyond this time, they still cook up whole with the grains separate. As a guide,