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Rinsing rice and grains
Beginner Vegetables, grains and beans
Rinsing rice and grains is washing grains in cold water before cooking to remove loose surface starch and dust.
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How do you do it?
- Put the grains in a fine-mesh strainer or a bowl.
- Cover with cold water, swirl with your hand, and pour off the cloudy water.
- Repeat 2-4 times until the water is mostly clear, then drain well.
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly too; it removes its natural bitter coating.
Why does it work?
Loose starch on the outside of grains turns into glue in the pot, making rice sticky and clumpy. Rinsing it off gives separate grains. Skip it for risotto or rice pudding, where that starch is the point.
What are the common mistakes?
- Rinsing risotto rice — you lose the starch that makes it creamy.
- Not draining well — the extra water throws off your measurements.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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