Who in this world doesn’t know or like rice? It’s one of the most diverse foods that you can combine with almost any other food to get a full course meal. Rice is one of the most consumed foods around the world, especially in Asian countries, like Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and India.
From a more statistical and healthy approach, we learn that rice is a gluten-free food. It also has different variations, each with its own benefits. Generally speaking, rice is a good source of fiber, proteins and carbohydrates.
A good dose of cooked and cleaned rice could become an all-rounder, well-balanced meal. There is one small problem that people experience when cooking rice which has been explained below.
Why Should You Soak Rice?
Rice can be transformed into beautiful dishes. There is hardly a culture in the world that hasn’t had a rice-centered dish. Nevertheless, rice is a hard grain that is more on the brittle side, which makes cooking it a major inconvenience.
A majority of people find cooking rice hard because of the time that it takes to cook them. Some people also complain about the consistency and softness of rice not being right after cooking them. It makes rice harder to digest.
The simplest solution to get rid of all of these problems is to soak rice. Soaked rice is easier to cook since you cut down cooking time by at least an hour. Once cooked, soaked rice is easier to digest, with an even richer and more lively flavor.
How to Soak Rice
Like most of the traditional soaking methods soaking rice is easy as well. You only need some purified soaking liquid and a bowl with rice in it. You first wash the rice, twice or thrice in the bowl, by filling it with water and draining the water.
After that, you pour in enough water to cover the rice by an inch or two of the soaking medium. Rice absorbs a lot of moisture, so please pay attention to the volume poured in. If the soaking material is too little, your rice won’t soak properly, therefore reducing the quality of your dish.
Soaking Rice in water
Water is the universal soaking medium because of its absorption rate. Water is the main material used to soak rice around the world. You only need a bowl that is non-reactive and some rice.
You have to wash the rice before letting them soak. Normally you will have to wash the rice thrice or twice to get rid of all the dirt and excessive starch. After washing the rice, you should pour in enough water to cover the rice properly.
You will have to let the rice soak for about thirty to forty minutes if you are in a hurry. Some people let their rice soak for more than an hour. Once soaked, you can add them to any dish like Sashimi, Nasiuduk, or Rizgras.
How Long To Soak Rice
The length of the soaking depends entirely on the leisure time that you have. You will have to soak your rice for at least 30 to 40 minutes before putting them into the pot. Some people put unsoaked rice directly into the pot, but believe us; it isn’t worth it.
Longer soaking periods are nutritionally more beneficial since they reduce the amount of arsenic in rice. You should probably go for the overnight soak if you simply want a healthier and tastier meal.
Can You Soak Rice Overnight?
According to some modern researches, rice-like most ground plants, collects and stores a significant amount of arsenic. This store of arsenic tends to grow especially problematic because of modern fertilizers and pesticides that are sprayed onto the crops.
Soaking rice overnight can reduce the arsenic content by more than 70 percent. You won’t have to worry about any indigestion or glycogen levels going crazy once all of that arsenic is washed away.
How to Soak Rice Fast
There is currently no quick soak method for rice. Even if there were a method, we wouldn’t recommend it because it would be useless and only a waste of time. Ideally, you should go for longer soaks because they are more beneficial.
If time is of the essence and you want to cut your cooking times, then use a good rice cooker. The best rice cookers are usually from Japan, like the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker or the OYAMA Stainless Steel Rice Cooker.
Sources
- Kitchen Accessory Buying Guides
- Kitchen Appliance Buying Guides
- Kitchen Cookbook Buying Guides
- Kitchen Cookware Buying Guides
- Kitchen Pantry Food Buying Guides
- Does Food Go Bad Articles
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