Rinsing or washing rice removes that excess starch, resulting in grains that are more separate when cooked. (There's the added benefit that rinsing rice before cooking can reduce the level of arsenic, but FDA research shows that the impact is minimal on the cooked grain.)
What happens if you don't wash rice? Contaminants like water-soluble arsenic, lead, and cadmium are true, dangerous side effects of not washing your rice. Heavy metals get into rice plants via the polluted groundwater that floods rice paddies.
Rinsing rice before cooking is an Asian practice to remove dirt, dust and excess starch; but it's actually optional. However, we recommend cooking with a little less water if you rinse, because, without the starch to absorb the bit of extra water, your white rice may turn out too mushy.
During washing some water-soluble nutrients are leached out and removed. Table 41 presents the washing and cooking losses of nutrients from various types of rice. It indicates that a significant amount of protein, ash, water-soluble vitamins and minerals and up to two-thirds of crude fat may be removed during washing.
If you are thinking of washing your rice after it has been cooked, then don't. Rice is not meant to be washed after it has been cooked unless you want your rice to become soggy and sticky. By washing your rice after it has been cooked you will be rinsing off the nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins.
By washing white rice (where the bran has been milled), the excess starch is washed off, as well as the oxidized rice bran oil, which adds an unpleasant flavor to the cooked rice." Washing rice will also remove dust and debris and help the grains to be more separated, rather than sticky.
Rinsing Jasmine rice is not necessary, it comes out great without the rinsing. If you do want to rinse it: add your rice to a medium bowl, add water and stir the rice until the water is cloudy. Strain the cloudy water on a sieve and repeat the process two more times.
“Grains like rice, quinoa, or barley should be rinsed thoroughly with cold water before cooking to remove excess starches, dirt, and germs,” she says.
What Happens if You Do Not Rinse the Rice? If you do not rinse the rice, residual starch from the grains will gelatinized during the cooking process and create cooked grains to be of sticky texture. The rice will look more like risotto than the fluffy rice that are served at restaurants.
Can washing rice prevent bacteria? In short, no. Washing rice will have no effect on the bacterial content of the cooked rice, as high cooking temperatures will kill all bacteria present.
The reason is to get rid of impurities such as dust, rice bran, and potential agricultural chemicals. There are some brands that are pre-rinsed before they are packed, but they are usually 20-30% more expensive.
Rinse basmati rice very well before cooking.
Wash a few times (4 to 5) until the water runs clear. This will help remove starch from the surface of the grains. Starch is what makes cooked rice sticky and gummy, so for fluffy rice, it is important to remove the starch.
Unfortunately, yes. The problem is that uncooked rice can have spores of Bacillus cereus, which is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.
The FDA research also shows that rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic content of the cooked grain and will wash off iron, folate, thiamine and niacin from polished and parboiled rice.
Wash the Rice
Repeat this step two to four times, depending on how starchy your rice is. For less than four cups of rice, wash it twice. For between four and seven cups of rice, wash it three times, and for more than eight cups of rice, wash it four times.
In a bowl: Fill a large bowl (such as the bowl of your rice cooker) with rice and enough cold water to completely submerge. Using your hand in a claw shape, gently swirl the rice around to rinse. Pour off the starchy water as often as needed until the water runs nearly clear, at least three times.
White rice generally needs a good rinse before cooking, to remove its starchy coating – not washing it leads to smellier rice that spoils faster. You put the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water and swirl around with your hand, repeating this several times until the water runs clear.
You could soak it for too long, and it'll become too soft, but that takes a couple hours. As long as you're rinsing until the water is relatively clear or soaking until the water becomes relatively clear, it shouldn't be more than 5 to 10 minutes.
So, should you wash your rice? For common Asian varieties, like jasmine or basmati, Tan washes it at least twice, if not three times, just to get rid of the starch. For European varieties, like arborio or bomba, he leaves the rice unwashed.
Heat can destroy the bacteria but it can also produce some spores that are toxic in nature. According to the Food Standards Agency, "Uncooked rice can contain spores of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Washing dishes can eliminate visible dirt, but it's not enough to kill bacteria like salmonella. To sanitize dishes and food containers, rinse them with a bleach and water solution after washing.
Jasmine rice hails from Thailand, while basmati comes from India and Pakistan. They're both long grain varieties, which means they cook up fluffy and not very sticky. Their grains also remain distinct, although jasmine is plumper, softer, and a bit more moist than basmati, which has a firmer chew and drier character.
Let It Sit
Don't serve your rice immediately after it's finished cooking. Instead, keep the lid on, turn the heat off, and let your rice settle in its steam for ten minutes. This trick from our Food Editor will help distribute heat throughout the covered pan to ensure evenly cooked rice.