When we usually steam rice, we are used to rinsing the rice first, then adding cold water, and then steaming it. This is a common practice. In fact, the correct method should be to boil the water first, and then use boiling water to steam the rice.
Why is rice cooked with boiling water more nutritious?
First, cooking rice with boiling water can shorten the cooking time and protect the vitamins in the rice. Since starch granules are not soluble in cold water, starch only absorbs water, expands, breaks, and becomes paste-like when the water temperature is above 60°C.
Rice contains a large amount of starch. When cooking rice with boiling water, the temperature is about 100°C (the boiling point of water). This temperature allows the rice to cook quickly, shortening the cooking time and preventing the vitamins in the rice from being destroyed by prolonged high-temperature heating.
Second, boiling the water allows the chlorine in it to volatilize, avoiding the destruction of Vitamin B1, which is the most important nutrient in rice. The tap water we usually use is disinfected with chlorine. If this water is used directly to cook rice, the chlorine in the water will destroy a large amount of Vitamin B1 in the rice. When cooking with boiled water, most of the chlorine has volatilized with the steam, which greatly reduces the loss of Vitamin B1 and other B vitamins.
3 major secrets for cooking rice:
1. It is best to rinse the rice 2-3 times, stirring gently with your hands without rubbing. Rice contains vitamins and inorganic salts, both of which are very soluble in water. Therefore, the number of times the rice is rinsed should not be too many, and it should not be rubbed vigorously.
2. After rinsing the rice, use boiling water to steam it. This not only shortens the steaming time but also maximally retains the vitamins and nutrients in the rice.
3. When steaming rice, add a little aged vinegar. This not only makes the rice easier to store and prevents spoilage, but also makes the steamed rice softer and enhances the rice aroma.