"[Basmati] rice, that comes from the northern part of India and all the way through to Afghanistan, is a very long-grain rice and long-grain rice absorbs a lot of water," says Tan. "So that's why [South Asian people] always tend to wash the rice first and then, after that, it soaks [in order] for the rice to expand."
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.
If the grains aren't washed before cooking, this residual starch will gelatinize in the hot cooking water and make the cooked grains of rice stick to each other. In some instances, such as sticky rice varieties like glutinous rice and arborio rice, this can lead to a very gummy texture.
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.)
Why You Should Always Wash Rice. The reason for washing rice (or any food, for that matter) is cleanliness. Rinsing rice removes dirt, dust, debris, chemicals, and bugs—in short, you're getting rid of the types of things you probably don't want to eat in your finished rice dish.
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.
Yes, in Japan rice is generally washed before cooking, although the English word “wash” doesn't begin to convey the energy you're supposed to expend. To give you a better idea, the verb in Japanese is togu, the same word used for honing a knife against a whetstone.
The reason is to get rid of impurities such as dust, rice bran, and potential agricultural chemicals.
First, make sure that you rinse the uncooked rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear. This is crucial to get rid of excess starch that makes it soggy. Add it to the saucepan/pot and it's ready to be cooked.
Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, is in this camp: “An initial rinsing of the dry rice removes surface starch and thus a source of added stickiness.” For most long-grain and medium-grain rice, then, rinsing is a good idea.
To reduce the level of starch. You rinse it to rinse the loose starch away. Rinsing off the loose starch is good because it prevents the rice from sticking/clumping together.
Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The spores can survive when rice is cooked. If rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores can grow into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea.
Choiniere says that arsenic is also a known carcinogen for lung and bladder cancer. A lifetime exposure to all rice products carries a risk of lung or bladder cancer in 39 out of 1 million Americans.
Cooking basmati rice is easy and requires minimal preparation. 1. Wash. Washing basmati before cooking is essential to ensure that the starch is removed.
Technically speaking, basmati rice does not need to be soaked before cooking; you'll have fully cooked rice if you follow the directions below and omit the soaking. However, the rice will look similar to jasmine rice (see photo above, left).
Here's Why
The chief reason to rinse is to remove surface starch from rice grains, which can make them gummy as they cook. Soaking allows rice to absorb water, giving it a leg up on cooking. This helps it to have a better, more even texture, instead of drying out while the inside is not evenly steamed and fluffed.
For creamy dishes like rice porridge, risotto, or rice pudding that benefit starch's sticky nature, you can skip the thorough rinse. (If you're concerned about the cleanliness of the grains, it doesn't hurt to give your rice a quick wash.)
Keep in mind that rinsing rice may reduce the levels of folate, iron, niacin and thiamin, by 50 to 70 percent, according to the Food and Drug Administration, and that the largest risk for arsenic exposure from rice is for those who eat it several times a day.
Aroma: Basmati rice is nutty and floral, whereas Jasmine rice is much more floral with notes of buttered popcorn. Texture: Basmati rice has firm, fluffy, clean grains, versus jasmine rice which is stickier, starchier, and softer.
Archaeological work in India uncovered the Neolithic site Lahuradewa in the Ganges Valley containing evidence of rice consumption dating to 7000–5000 bc (discussed in Fuller, 2006).
Washing the rice this way prevents it from breaking and cleans residue and starch from each grain. The final rinse removes any remaining starch from the rice. Pour plenty of water into the inner pan, stir with an open hand and drain the rice. Repeat this step twice to ensure that the rice is clean.
"[Basmati] rice, that comes from the northern part of India and all the way through to Afghanistan, is a very long-grain rice and long-grain rice absorbs a lot of water," says Tan. "So that's why [South Asian people] always tend to wash the rice first and then, after that, it soaks [in order] for the rice to expand."
Rinsing and soaking your rice is essential for good sushi rice. If you don't wash your rice, there will be too much excess starch on the surface, which could make the rice gummy and ruin its texture.
The stickiness of Japanese rice---the way the individual grains cling together----is due to its high proportion of starch. Starch is itself composed of amylose and amylopectin.