To Boil Rice for Mullagatawny Soups, or for Curries
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the rice
Remove the unhusked grains from the rice and wash it in several washes.
Boil and drain
Place the rice in a large pot with cold water and bring it to a gentle boil, uncovered.
Remove any scum that rises while boiling.
Do not stir the rice except at the beginning to prevent lumping.
Add salt a couple of minutes before it's done.
Boil the rice softly for 15 minutes until tender, ensuring each grain remains distinct.
Drain the rice in a colander for 10 minutes near the fire.
If not completely dry, place it in a dish in a gentle oven or steam it in a clean saucepan near the fire.
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; cooking in plenty of water keeps the grains separate and tender.
- Salt
- Seasons the rice; added near the end so it does not slow the softening of the grains.
The step that matters
Boil the rice softly and do not stir. A hard boil or frequent stirring breaks the grains and releases starch, making the rice gluey and lumpy. Gentle simmering with minimal stirring keeps each grain distinct.
“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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