Question

Aslam enjoys eating rice for his afternoon meals. While cooking rice, he has noticed that it often becomes soft and mushy.

With reference to the above statement answer the following questions:

1. List the reasons for the texture of the rice becoming soft and mushy.     [3]
2. State any two dishes made with rice and the methods of cooking used.     [2]
3. Is parboiled rice nutritious? Justify your answer.     [2]

Answer 1

1.   
   • The reasons for the texture of the rice to become soft and mushy are the changes that take place in starch. 
   • The starch molecules in rice swell when heated in water.
   • As the process of boiling rice continues the starch molecules become bigger and the rice becomes soft.
   • However, when the rice is overcooked the starch molecules of rice swell and burst releasing the starch into the rice which makes rice sticky or mushy.
2. 
   
   • Fried rice/pulao, Method used: boiling and sauteing; braising; pressure cooking.
   • Kheer or payasam, Method used: sauteing, boiling.
   • Idlis, Method used: steaming.
3. Yes. Parboiling of rice is done after paddy is harvested and soaked in large vats for two to three days. It is then steamed or boiled, dried and then milled to remove the husks. Most of the nutrients of the husk, hence, are absorbed by the grain. The contents of thiamine and riboflavin in parboiled rice are almost double of those in polished rice. Parboiled rice is also easier to digest. Thus, parboiled rice is more nutritious.