Parboiled Rice

Many a time, you might have come across the term, 'parboiled rice'. While, most people are familiar with white rice and brown rice, parboiled rice may be new for many. Parboiled rice is nothing other than the rice, that has undergone the process of parboiling. This process is believed to be originated in some regions of Asia, like, southern parts of India and some parts of Japan and China. Parboiling enhances the texture of rice and improves its nutritional value. Read on to know more about parboiled rice.

What is Parboiled Rice?

Now, you know that parboiled rice is produced through the process of parboiling or partially boiling. During this process, the harvested paddy (rice with husk) is hydrated and then steamed, before drying. Once dried completely, the husk is removed. Traditionally, rice husk removal is done manually and not mechanically. The process of parboiling makes it easier for the husk to be removed by hand. Another advantage of parboiled rice is that the process of steaming or heating the hydrated paddy, forces the nutrients (especially, vitamin B1) in the husk to get absorbed into the grains, making the rice nutritious. While parboiling, the cracked kernels inside the husk may get glued together, thereby reducing the number of broken grains. Parboiling process also helps in the sterilization of harvested rice, which may contain impurities and insect eggs.

Parboiled Rice Vs Brown and White Rice

When you compare the different types of rice, some of the important aspects that come to the fore are nutrition and ease of cooking. While brown rice is said to be high in nutrition, as compared to white rice, parboiled rice has almost 80% of the nutrients in brown rice. So, among the three, the most nutritious is brown rice, followed by parboiled rice and then white rice. It is said that the process of parboiling is responsible for retaining a good amount of nutrients in parboiled rice.

As far as ease of cooking is concerned, white rice tops the list and is followed by parboiled rice and then brown rice. When compared to white rice, parboiled rice takes longer to cook and is not sticky. Once cooked, the rice will be firmer and retains its shape too. But, it takes lesser time for parboiled rice to get cooked, if you compare it with brown rice. Parboiled rice is easily digestible and is delicious too.

Parboiled Rice Nutrition Facts

As mentioned above, parboiling helps to retain most of the nutrients, which are lost in white rice that undergoes further processing. Though, parboiled rice is not as nutritious as brown rice, it has more nutrients than white rice. It is also ideal for those, who are averse to the nutty taste of brown rice. 100 grams of cooked long grain parboiled white rice amounts to 123 calories and contains 26 grams of carbohydrates, one gram dietary fiber and three grams of protein. It does not contain any fat or cholesterol. This rice is rich in B vitamins, folate, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, selenium, etc. In fact, parboiled rice contains more folate and B vitamins, as compared to brown rice. It is also very low in fat, as 100 grams of this rice contain only 0.4 gram of fat. Compared to white rice, both parboiled and brown rice have low GI (glycemic index). So those who want to control their sugar levels may start using parboiled or brown rice, instead of the white one.

Now, you have a basic understanding about parboiled rice and the process through which it is produced. Parboiled rice is perfect with meat, fish, soups and salads. It can also be cooked with sauce, curry, vinegar, etc. In order to prepare two servings (2 cups) of cooked parboiled rice, you need ½ cup of rice and 1⅓ cups of water. Wash the rice and boil it with the water, in a saucepan. You may also add a teaspoon of butter, along with the rice. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook the rice covered for around 20 minutes or till the water is absorbed (the time required for cooking may vary with different brands). Remove from heat and keep it aside with the cover, so that any remaining water is absorbed. You can serve the rice after five minutes. There are several parboiled rice brands in the market. Choose one and try some parboiled rice recipes.