Culinary Quickies: Parboiled Rice

by | Dec 1, 2022 | Advice, Food

Reader Question: 

“The recipe I am preparing says to ‘parboil’ the rice until it is al dente.  What does that mean and how do I do that?”

Answer:

When a recipe says to ‘parboil’ the rice it literally means to partially cook the rice. Al dente means that it is firm to the bite. There are many recipes that call for this, but it is particularly common in preparing Persian rice recipes. To make parboiled rice follow this simple recipe:

How to Make Parboiled Rice

Ingredients

3 cups long grain rice

12 cups cold water

¼ cup salt

 

Step-By-Step Directions

1. Fill up a large pot with water (about 12 cups) along with 2 tablespoons of the salt and bring to a boil.

2. Rinse 3 cups of uncooked rice in a bowl until the discarded water rinses clear to remove extra starches.

3. Soak the rinsed rice, just covering it with water, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the salt. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes and up to a few hours.

4. Carefully transfer the rinsed rice into the large boiling pot of water.

5. Once the water is boiling again, cook for about 4-6 minutes or until the tips of a grain of rice are clear (partially cooked or al dente).

6. Pour the parboiled rice out into a strainer and rinse with lukewarm water to rinse off some salt and to slow the cooking process.

7. Set aside to be mixed with add-in ingredients for the next cooking step in the mixed rice final dish!

To submit a question please email Shoshana at: foodeditor@unorthoboxed.com 

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