To Boil Bice for Mullagatawny Soups, or for Curries
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove the unhusked grains from the rice and wash it in several waters.
Boil and drain
Place the rice in a large pot with cold water and bring it to a gentle boil, uncovered.
Boil the rice softly for 15 minutes until tender, ensuring each grain remains distinct.
Just before finishing, add salt and remove any scum that rises during boiling.
Drain the rice in a colander for 10 minutes near the fire.
If the rice is not completely dry, place it in a dish in a gentle oven or steam it in a clean saucepan near the fire.
Do not stir the rice except at the beginning to prevent lumping; shake the pot occasionally if needed.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Patna rice
- Forms the main body of the dish; its starch sets the texture as it cooks and softens.
- Cold water
- Cooks the rice by absorption and softening, so the grains swell without breaking apart.
The step that matters
Do not stir the rice except at the beginning. Stirring releases starch from the grain surfaces, which makes the rice gummy and lumpy. Keeping grains separate preserves distinct, fluffy texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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