There are many ways to process rice, and if you look at the packaging of your favorite brand, you’ll notice labels that indicate whether the rice is polished, aged, parboiled, or boiled.
Of these labels, boiled rice tends to be more uncommon. As such, you might be wondering what boiled rice is. I looked into it, and here’s what I found!
What Is Boiled Rice?
Boiled rice is simply raw rice with husks that have been boiled for thirty to sixty minutes. Afterward, the raw rice is dried under the sun, treated, packed, and sold. Additionally, boiled rice and parboiled rice share similar qualities and nutritional value, making them popular rice alternatives in healthy diets.
In case you’re interested to learn more about the characteristics of boiled rice and whether boiled rice is something that will suit your lifestyle, keep reading!
What Is Boiled Rice Called?
Boiled rice is also called converted rice or parboiled rice. While there are differences between boiled and parboiled rice, these differences are often dismissed by consumers.
What Is Meant By Boiled Rice?
Boiled rice refers to the process that raw rice undergoes before the rice grains are dried under the sun and sold in the market.
As its name implies, boiled rice is boiled while the raw rice still has its husk. By doing so, the nutrients in the outer layers of the rice transfer to the endosperm.
Additionally, boiled rice is easier to cook and has a fluffier texture than cooked raw rice.
What Is Double Boiled Rice?
Double-boiled rice is one of two types of boiled rice. Additionally, double-boiled rice tends to be different shades of yellow and is never white.
What Is Half Boiled Rice?
Half-boiled rice is the same as parboiled rice. Parboiled rice undergoes a similar process to boiled rice, only parboiled rice is cooked in less time than boiled rice.
Moreover, half-boiled rice yields grains that are light yellow.
What Is The Best Way To Cook Boiled Rice?
Boiled rice is cooked in the same way as parboiled rice. Generally, you can prepare boiled rice in a rice cooker, slow cooker, on the stovetop, or in a microwave.
However you decide to cook boiled rice, it is recommended that you use 2 ¼ cups of water per cup of parboiled rice.
On the stovetop, once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let the rice cook until the water runs out.
When using a microwave, make sure that you cook the rice in a suitable container with a tight-fitting lid.
After the boiled rice is cooked, let the boiled rice rest for around ten minutes before fluffing the boiled rice and serving.
What Is Red Boiled Rice?
Red boiled rice is red rice that is boiled before it is dehusked. By doing so, the red rice’s nutrients become concentrated, and consumers get more benefits out of eating the red rice.
Usually, red boiled rice comes in parboiled format and is mostly eaten in Asian countries.
What Is The Glycemic Index Of Boiled Rice?
Currently, there’s no confirmed glycemic index for boiled rice. However, since boiled rice is similar to parboiled rice, it’s safe to assume that they have similar glycemic scores as well.
Parboiled rice has a score of thirty-eight in the glycemic index, proving that parboiled rice is often healthier than regular white rice, which has a GI of eighty-nine.
Since boiled rice is cooked in the husk for a longer period than parboiled rice, it is reasonable to assume that boiled rice may have a slightly lower GI than parboiled rice.
Nevertheless, parboiled rice can have a higher GI too depending on the specific type of rice that is being parboiled.
What Is The Difference Between Rice And Boiled Rice?
Raw rice and boiled rice differ mainly in terms of preparation, color, and nutritional value.
Boiled rice is boiled with the husk intact before the rice is milled. Meanwhile, raw rice is dried, milled, and polished before being sold.
As such, raw rice tends to have less nutritional value than boiled rice. This is mostly applicable to white rice, which is the rice variant that is commonly sold parboiled.
Additionally, raw rice is white, while raw rice can take on different shades of yellow.
What Is The Difference Between Steamed And Boiled Rice?
Steamed rice is simply pre-steamed rice, making steamed rice easier and faster to cook. Usually, steamed rice can be cooked in the microwave in only four minutes.
When stir-frying, steamed rice can be cooked without using a lot of oil. Additionally, steamed rice often uses short-grain rice, making steamed rice ideal for desserts.
In contrast, boiled rice is pre-boiled before being dehusked and takes a little longer to cook than steamed rice. Furthermore, boiled rice is best for meat and vegetable dishes.
Finally, steamed rice is better at absorbing sauces while boiled rice has a more fragrant aroma.
Is Sona Masoori Rice Raw Rice Or Boiled Rice?
Sona Masoori is a type of rice, and it can either be sold raw or boiled. Usually, Sona Masoori is sold raw, but boiled variants are also popular, especially in Asian countries.
What Is Sona Masoori Boiled Rice?
Boiled Sona Masoori is Sona Masoori that was boiled before it was milled. As such, boiled Sona Masoori takes less time to cook and has more nutrients than raw Sona Masoori.
Have a look at our other articles to learn what biryani rice is, what broccoli rice is, and what bulgur rice is.
Conclusion
Boiled rice shares many similarities with parboiled rice. Mainly, what sets boiled rice apart from parboiled rice is the cooking time.
However, boiled rice and parboiled rice tend to be cooked in the same manner, and both can increase the nutritional value of the rice.