There are many varieties of this cereal, but most often housewives in the European part of the mainland use only a few varieties of white rice for cooking. At the same time, in Asian cuisine, rice is presented in a wider and more diverse assortment, since dishes from it are traditional in Asian countries.
What is the reason for such differences in varietal preferences, and what do Asian women know about rice, which Europeans do not know? Everything is known in comparison, as popular wisdom says. Therefore, we will try to compare some familiar varieties of white rice with brown, unpolished varieties traditionally used in Asian cuisine, and not only in terms of healthy and wholesome nutrition, but also in the technology of its preparation.
How to cook brown rice - nutritional value and taste
To begin with, we draw attention to the fact that brown rice is a whole, more natural grain, without polishing. The structure of rice grains, like all cereals, is approximately the same: the upper layers, covered with a harder shell, not counting the peel, contain niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, a significant part (70%) of mineral substances (potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc) and up to 80-85% of valuable organic oils. Brown rice is rich in fiber, while it contains only 10% vegetable protein. It has beneficial effects on the protective functions of the body, improves the functioning of the nervous, circulatory and digestive systems. The surface shell of brown rice gives it a distinctive color and nutty flavor.
After collapse and polishing, rice grains acquire the usual white color for the European population, transparent and not very, depending on the variety, different sizes and shapes. Closer to the middle, in the rice grain, according to its structure, mainly carbohydrates are located - up to 80%. The remaining 20% of white grain contains the same vitamins and minerals as brown rice, but this ratio makes you think about choice and preferences. White rice has a neutral, familiar taste that easily and quickly absorbs the taste of spices and all the ingredients of the dish during cooking, especially since it is cooked for 10-15 minutes.
How to cook brown rice - cooking features
The speed of cooking white rice is its only significant advantage, because of which most residents of European cities prefer to constantly include it in the diet. Brown rice cannot be rushed, it is a product that needs to be cooked without fuss, and it is this philosophy that is more characteristic of Asian peoples.
White rice will have the taste that all the ingredients added to the dish will give it, and the characteristic nutty note of brown rice is not lost, but makes you carefully choose the ingredients to create a harmonious taste of the dish.
The only difficulty in cooking, if it can be considered a difficulty, is the prolonged soaking and washing of brown rice. Directly during the cooking process, cooks and technologists advise, as a rule, to change the water twice and rinse brown rice. Otherwise, its preparation is no different from cooking ordinary white rice. Unpolished grains after washing and soaking can withstand for some time in clean and cool water (up to 10 hours). It is better to prepare brown rice in advance by setting it to soak overnight. Especially long soaking of unpolished cereals is recommended for those dishes where, due to the technological features of cooking, it is impossible to drain and change water during the cooking process (pilaf, rice meatballs, stewed dishes with rice, casseroles). Washing during cooking can be used when brown rice is prepared as a side dish for meat or fish. By the way, the brown variety has one significant advantage over white rice: it does not boil, dishes have a friable texture.
If you doubt that brown rice can be as tasty as regular, and the decision to include unpolished cereals in the diet on an ongoing basis, then we will consider several recipes where the taste difference will not be noticeable at all and the nutritional value of the dish will be improved while reducing calories.
How to cook brown rice with pumpkin in milk
Products:
Pumpkin, nutmeg 150 g
Sugar 50 g
Salt 2 g
Rice, unpolished 100 g
Milk 350 g
Ghee 75 g
Order of preparation:
At night, wash the washed rice in water, as technologists advise. In the morning, cook it twice (for 5-7 minutes) in a large amount of water, rinse and, draining the water, set aside. Cut the peeled pumpkin into small cubes and sauté in oil until half-cooked. Add sugar to make the pumpkin caramelize and lightly brown. Put boiled rice, sauteed pumpkin in boiled milk and cook for five minutes. Bring to taste with salt and sugar. Remove the pan from the stove and wrap it with a flannel napkin. After 20 minutes, breakfast is ready.
How to cook brown rice with apple and dried fruits
Product Composition:
Green apple, peeled 200 g
Raisins 100 g
Ghee
Chopped Peanuts (Roasted) 70 g
Dried apricots 120 g
Prunes, pitted 50 g
Unpolished rice, boiled 300 g
Sugar and salt to taste
Cooking:
Put the boiled brown rice cooked the day before in a ceramic pot or distribute in portioned pots, plentifully oiled. Peel the apple from the peel and core, cut into cubes. Washed, boiled with boiled water dried fruits, finely chop. Put a layer of dried fruits on rice, then apples. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Prepare sweet gravy from boiling water (1 cup) and sugar, and pour the rice in pots. Place them in a baking oven at 180 ° C for 20 minutes. Before baking, cover the pots with lids or foil.
How to cook brown rice with vegetables and meat
Ingredients:
Yellow Carrot 150 g
White onion 200 g
Sweet pepper 100 g
Tomatoes 300 g
Blue eggplant 120-150 g
Chicken fillet 0.6 kg
Unpolished rice 150 g
Fresh herbs 200 g
Oil, olive 150 ml
Garlic 20 g
Ground spices:
coriander,
Chile,
black pepper,
cloves
Bay leaf
Order of preparation:
Wash and peel vegetables, basil greens, parsley. Dice onion, eggplant (without skin) and salad pepper. Grate carrots on a grater. Blanch ripe tomatoes, peel and wipe through a sieve.
Cut the prepared meat into cubes with a side of 1.5-2.0 cm.
Heat oil and fry the meat cubes in a saucepan. Put onions and carrots. Separately in a pan, brown the pepper and eggplant. Add them to the stewpan. On top, lay brown rice pre-soaked and washed in cold water, spread evenly.
Season the tomato puree with spices, salt and pour into a saucepan. Add hot boiled water to cover it with a 3 cm dish. Stew on low heat for 40 minutes. Serve the stew by laying out on a large dish. Garnish with fresh chopped greens.
How to cook brown rice - useful tips
Unpolished rice is stored much less than processed rice. For this reason, it is offered in relatively small quantities in retail chains. If you like to stock up on cereals for future use, then store rice in a tightly closed glass container to protect it from foreign odors, the penetration of bugs and excessive moisture.
On a glass of pre-soaked rice, add 2 cups of water. If the moisture content of the cereal is too low, then the amount of water needs to be slightly increased. In the process of cooking, adding water to rice is not recommended. If it suddenly becomes clear that there is not enough water, turn off the fire, close the lid and wrap the pan, leaving it like this for a couple of hours: the water will not boil and evaporate without any benefit, but will be absorbed into rice.
Rice is cooked by throwing both in cold and hot water. In cold water, cereal is cooked with the lid closed on a slow fire. From the point of view of maintaining the nutritional properties in the product, this cooking method is more useful. When lowering rice in boiling water, the pan lid is usually not closed. You need to salt the rice no earlier than 10 minutes before cooking.
If rice is needed for making sushi - choose a round variety for cooking. It will make the necessary viscous consistency.
The longer the grain of rice, the more crumbly the side dish will be from it.
If during the cooking of rice it is noticed that the water has become too turbid, this indicates a poor quality of grain - it has cracked and gives off starch. To get in this case, nevertheless, a crumbly side dish, and not a viscous porridge, add oil before the cereal sticks together. There is another way: remove the pan from the stove, drain the muddy water, discard the rice through a colander and rinse. Taste it. Put the rice back into the pan, add a little boiling water to steam the side dish, put the oil, mix and put on low heat for 2-3 minutes, covering it with a lid - the rice will reach.
