4 common mistakes people make when cooking rice.

Choosing rice that is too fragrant or too white, washing rice too thoroughly, or cooking rice with cold water are common mistakes you might unintentionally make when cooking rice.

Cooking rice might seem like the easiest task, but it requires certain minimum standards to avoid affecting the health of the whole family. To cook a delicious pot of rice with all the necessary nutrients, you need to be aware of and avoid the following mistakes that almost every housewife has made:

1. Avoid choosing rice that is too fragrant or too white.

Many people enjoy fragrant rice; however, most types of rice that aim for a distinctive and long-lasting aroma use artificial flavorings and preservatives. These chemicals have a greater impact on health than natural rice varieties.

Furthermore, housewives also prefer rice with an attractive white color. In reality, most of these types of rice are milled too thoroughly, losing the outer bran layer – which contains the best nutrients of the rice. The rice that is actually eaten is only the starchy core, so eating too much of it can increase the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diseases.

Therefore, when buying rice, you should choose varieties with natural color and aroma, especially avoiding those with strange odors or excessively white color. Before buying, you should hold a handful of rice in your hand and smell it to distinguish whether the rice has been treated with artificial fragrances.

2. Washing the rice too thoroughly.

Washing rice is just as important as choosing it. Typically, housewives believe that the more thoroughly they wash the rice, the more dirt and bacteria they can remove. However, this process actually removes nutrients from the rice grains.

In fact, nutrition experts recommend rinsing rice gently. Add water to the pot along with the rice, stir well to allow dirt and husks to float to the surface, then gently sift to remove any grit, and finally discard the water. Avoid rubbing the rice grains together, as this will cause the loss of many nutrients.

Generally, you should only rinse the plant about twice, and only stir thoroughly the first time. This first rinse water can be used as fertilizer for plants or for washing your face, as it contains many nutrients.

3. Cook rice using cold water.

Cooking rice with cold water is common in many households. However, experts say that cooking rice with hot water is better than cooking it with cold water. This applies to both electric rice cookers and cast iron pots used on gas or wood-burning stoves. Boiling water helps the rice grains cook faster, shortening cooking time, and also ensures the rice cooks evenly and becomes softer due to less loss of nutrients.

Cooking rice with cold water causes the rice grains to swell, and the nutrients dissolve in the water. If you cook rice with hot water, the outer layer of the rice grain will contract quickly, forming a protective membrane that prevents the grain from cracking, thus retaining the nutrients.

Cooking rice with boiling water and covering it to retain heat and prevent the rice from coming into contact with air will preserve 30% more vitamin B1 compared to cooking with cold water.

4. Open the lid as soon as the pot switches to the warming mode.

When cooking with an electric rice cooker, it will automatically switch from cooking mode to warming mode. You shouldn't open the lid right away; instead, let it warm for about 5-10 minutes before opening the lid and stirring the rice. If you open it as soon as the rice is cooked, the top layer will still be slightly mushy. You should let it sit a little longer so the grains firm up, making it more fragrant and delicious. When the rice cooker indicates that cooking is finished and switches to the keep-warm mode, you can also open the lid, stir the rice with chopsticks, and close the lid again to let it simmer until you're ready to eat.

According to ngoisao.net