To Boil Rice for Curries
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a cool oven”. The 300°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Cook the rice
Wash the rice well and soak it while the water comes to a boil.
Add the rice, salt, and alum to the boiling water.
Boil gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain and dry
Pour the rice through a sieve and rinse with 1 cup of cold water.
Let it dry in a cool oven (300°F / 150°C) or in front of the fire, stirring frequently with a fork.
Serve
Serve on a folded napkin.
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
- Its starch swells as it cooks, forming the soft, separate grains that hold the curry sauce.
The step that matters
Boil gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Rice grains keep cooking as long as they are in hot water, and the starch breaks down with prolonged heat. Draining at the right moment keeps the grains separate instead of mushy.
“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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