Anyone can cook rice: just get some rice, add some water, and turn on the rice cooker. Then all you have to do is wait for it to be served. But did you know that making nutritious and delicious rice requires a bit of a technique?
Rice contains various nutrients such as B vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. However, during the washing process, improper methods can easily lead to a significant loss of these nutrients. Therefore, to better preserve the nutrition in your rice, you should pay attention to at least the following four points.
First, wash rice with cold water, not warm water. When the water temperature is too high, the solubility of various substances increases, which will directly lead to greater nutrient loss. Second, wash the rice 2-3 times. The purpose of washing rice is to remove dust and impurities; there's no need to rinse it repeatedly, as this will only cause nutrient loss. You can confidently put pre-washed rice directly into the pot. Third, do not rub the rice with your hands; just stir it gently. The outermost layer of the rice grain is called the aleurone layer, which contains B vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. If you scrub the rice vigorously while washing, you will wash away this layer and lose nutrients. Fourth, do not rinse rice under running water. Running water will only wash away nutrients without providing any additional cleaning benefit.
California Roll
Once the rice is washed, the next step is to cook it. A rice cooker is the best tool for making rice. Its better sealing ability can prevent excessive oxidation, it takes less time to cook, and therefore, less nutrient loss is incurred. It's worth noting that if you prefer boiled rice (rice that is first boiled, then drained and steamed), be sure to make good use of the rice water, as nearly 50% of the minerals and vitamins are cooked into it. Although boiled rice can easily lose nutrients, it is suitable for making fried rice. This is because the rice cooked in this way is loose, so when stir-fried, it won't be too sticky and will have a better texture. Additionally, Wu Meiyun points out that before putting the rice in the pot, you can soak it in warm water for a while; this will make the cooked rice softer and stickier.
Mistakes can happen when cooking rice. If the entire batch is undercooked, you can poke some holes straight to the bottom of the pot with chopsticks, then add warm water and let it steam again. If only a part is undercooked, poke holes in that section, add water, and steam again. If only the surface is undercooked, you can fold the top layer down into the middle and then steam it.