Is it true that parboiled rice does not need to be washed before cooking?

Is it necessary to wash steamed rice for pilaf, risotto, side dish, and other dishes? It cannot be answered in monosyllables. In one case, it is necessary to wash the grains, but in the other it is strictly prohibited.

Why wash rice at all?

Many people still remember from their grandmothers and great-grandmothers the instruction to wash rice cereals in 7 waters. This process is long and not very pleasant. First, the rice is poured with cold water, then thoroughly rubbed with your hands. Finally, the cloudy liquid is drained and the procedure is repeated several more times. Sometimes it seems that the water will never become clear. Is this necessary, and why?

Why you need to wash rice before cooking:

To wash away dust, dirt, chemical elements (for example, talc, which is sometimes sprinkled on cereals to give whiteness). There really is a need for rinsing if the cereal is of poor quality or is sold by weight in bags. But if the brand is well-known, and the manufacturer monitors the quality of its products, then you can safely pour the rice from the packaging directly into the pan and cook it like that.
To make the rice more fluffy. Initially, white rice is covered with a layer of starch. This is why the water turns milky when washed. If the starch coating is not removed, upon contact with water it will turn into gluten, the grains will stick together and the porridge will turn out homogeneous. Of course, this is good for a dairy dish or dessert, but not for pilaf.

What is the difference between steamed rice and regular rice and does it need to be washed?

Parboiled rice is not a type of cereal, but a method of processing it. Making parboiled rice involves first soaking the unhusked grains and then steaming them under high pressure. After steaming, the rice is dried and polished. The output is a translucent grain of gray or amber hue. Ordinary rice is not steamed, but is immediately polished.

Steaming has several advantages:

Firstly, it allows you to preserve up to 80% of the beneficial properties of the cereal crop. The fact is that most of the vitamins and minerals are located in the rough shell of the grain, which is immediately removed during the production of ordinary white polished rice. Parboiled rice is processed unpeeled. From the effect of steam, valuable substances are sealed and go deep into the grain.
Secondly, high temperatures cause partial gelatinization of starch. When cooked, such grains do not fall apart, hold their shape well and do not stick together. The porridge turns out crumbly, as they say, “rice to grain.”

Do I need to wash parboiled rice before cooking? No, if the cereal is of good quality. This is indicated by the absence of foreign impurities and debris. All grains must be the same in shape and color, without chips.

Results - when do we wash and when not?

There are many varieties of rice:

Kamolino,
Basmati,
red,
black Tibetan,
brown wild,
Arborio,
Valencia,
Jasmine, etc.

They differ from each other not only in shape (long or round), but also in color, taste and even composition. Each variety contains a different amount of starch and is boiled to a greater or lesser extent.

And rice like Arborio contains two types of starch – amylopectin on top and amylase inside.When cooked, the center of the grain remains slightly hard (al dente), but at the same time Arborio cooks well and absorbs all the tastes and smells. It is this property that makes it indispensable in preparing risotto. Of course, such rice cannot be washed so that it remains sticky. Just as it is not recommended to wash off starch when preparing milk porridges, slimy soups, rice water, roll bases, and sweet desserts. Rice is washed only when it needs to be crumbly after cooking. In particular, it is correct to wash rice for pilaf and as a side dish for meat or fish.

So, steamed rice does not become overcooked and does not stick together thanks to a special production technology. It always turns out crumbly. It is advisable to wash it only when the grains are split or dirty. It is impossible to cook a soft, homogeneous porridge from it - for this it is better to take a white round-grained variety.