Choosing the right rice
Rice starch comes in two types. Amylose keeps grains separate and fluffy, as in basmati and other long-grain rice. Amylopectin makes grains soft and clingy, as in sushi rice and risotto rice. Sticky rice is almost all amylopectin.
Rinse for fluffy, skip for creamy
Rinse long-grain rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. This washes off surface starch, so the grains cook up separate. Skip the rinse for risotto, where that surface starch thickens the broth and makes it creamy.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
You're making pilaf and want every grain separate. Which rice fits?
Long-grain basmati. It has more amylose, so the grains stay apart.
True or false: Risotto gets its creamy texture from cream stirred in with the rice.
False. Stirring rubs starch off the arborio grains into the broth, and that starch makes risotto creamy.
What went wrong? You rinse arborio rice until the water runs clear, then make risotto. It turns out thin, not creamy.
Rinsing removed the starch that thickens risotto. Skip the rinse so the starch can thicken the broth.
Fill the blank: Sticky rice is rich in ___, which forms a soft gel and makes grains cling.
Sticky rice is rich in amylopectin, which forms a soft gel and makes grains cling. Its branching chains form a soft, sticky gel.
Cooked rice from last night is hard and dry in the fridge. Why?
Starch recrystallizes as the rice cools and stiffens. Cooling firms the starch. A splash of water and heat until steaming softens it again.
Basmati vs sushi rice
Fluffy or sticky?
Do the 30-minute experiment