What is Parboiled Rice?

About Parboiled Rice:

• Parboiled rice, also called converted rice, is partially precooked in its inedible husk before being processed for eating.
• It happens before rice is milled, that is, before the inedible outer husk is removed to yield brown rice but before brown rice is refined to make white rice.
• In some Asian and African countries, people have been parboiling rice since ancient times as it makes the husks easier to remove by hand.
• The main steps of parboiling are
  • Soaking: Raw, unhusked rice, also called paddy rice, is soaked in warm water to increase the moisture content.
  • Steaming: The rice is steamed until the starch converts into a gel. The heat of this process also helps kill bacteria and other microbes.
  • Drying: The rice is slowly dried to reduce the moisture content so that it can be milled.
  • Husking: The dried, partially cooked rice is then milled to remove the outer husk. The result is parboiled rice.
• Parboiling changes the colour of rice to a light yellow or amber, which differs from the pale, white colour of regular rice. 
• During parboiling, some water-soluble nutrients move from the bran of the rice kernel into the starchy endosperm. This minimises some of the nutrient loss that normally happens during refining when making white rice.
• Benefits:
  • Parboiling rice improves its texture, increases its shelf life, and provides health benefits.
  • Parboiled rice is higher in fibre and protein than white rice.
  • Parboiling reduces the stickiness of rice, so it yields fluffy and separate kernels once cooked.
  • Additionally, parboiling inactivates the enzymes that break down the fat in rice. This helps prevent rancidity and off-flavors, increasing shelf-life
  • Notably, parboiled rice has significantly more thiamine and niacin than white rice. These nutrients are important for energy production.
• Potential downsides:
• It’s less nutritious than brown rice.
• It takes a little longer to cook.