Helpful Lesson 10: Rinse Rice and Other Grains

Rinsing rice is worth the time and energy. It is the difference between fluffy and mushy rice. Bon Appetit's Basically newsletter gives tips and recipes about making delicious meals in the simplest ways possible but there are some steps, they say, that should never be skipped. Rinsing rice is at the top of the list. The exception to the rule? Congee, rice pudding and risotto. The whole point for those to become mushy...in a good way.

First off, rinsing gets rid of any bits of debris that ended up in the bag. More importantly, though, it washes off some of the surface starch. Starch is what causes rice and grain dishes to thicken. When the goal is fluffy, separated grains as opposed to a porridge-like consistency, the starch has got to go. Even when you rinse short-grain rice, like sushi rice, the cooked grains will still stick together (which is correct). Still, they’ll lose any unpleasant gumminess. When you rinse long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, the result is individual, discrete grains.

As you rinse rice, you'll be able to see the starch releasing into the water. The stream passing through the rice will go from cloudy to relatively clear. Bon Appetit prefers to swoosh the rice around in a bowl full of cold water a couple of times, pouring out the water in one fluid, fast motion between rinses. Those of us with rice cookers use the bowl in the cooker. (All of the rice, with the exception of a grain or two, will remain safely at the bottom of the bowl.) The difference from the first rinse to the third is glaringly apparent: The water will go from distinctly cloudy to clear enough that you should be able to see your submerged hand. It will never be crystal clear, but even a few rinses makes all the difference.

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/rinse-your-rice

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