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» Brown rice soaking. How to cook brown rice. What are the benefits for losing weight

Brown rice soaking. How to cook brown rice. What are the benefits for losing weight

Rice is a whole crop. In some eastern countries it is even mentioned in traditional greetings. If rice is cooked correctly, its benefits for the human body are invaluable. The right variety is a guarantee that complex carbohydrates, vitamins and essential amino acids will be preserved in the prepared dish, relieving the feeling of hunger for several hours. The product gives energy and beauty to the human body; it is also good for weight loss. The most useful one out there - Brown rice. It can quite rightly be attributed to products that give both slimness and health.

Brown rice is grains with a coating that makes them tougher and, at the same time, has great nutritional value. Calcium and potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, iron and B vitamins can be obtained by cooking it on the stove in a saucepan or in a slow cooker. However, since coated grains are tougher than milled grains, it is important to know how to cook brown rice correctly to retain all of its benefits and nutritional value.

Storing Brown Rice

Each cereal requires special storage conditions. They are not that complicated, but failure to do them risks the product deteriorating and losing some of its properties. A few simple rules will help you store brown rice correctly and regularly add it to your diet:

  • let them be in the home kitchen small portions product;
  • observe temperature regime: heat and frost are completely useless;
  • An opaque, dry tin or ceramic jar with a tight-fitting lid is the key to preserving the cereal.

Rules for preparing for cooking

Whether you plan to cook uncooked rice on the stove or in the slow cooker, it is important to start the process by thoroughly rinsing the product. This needs to be done for two reasons. Firstly, during cultivation, and especially during assembly and transportation, various types of dirt accumulate on the grains. Secondly, the product, which is sold in average stores, is treated with substances of greater or lesser harmfulness. Therefore, only prepared rice will be useful for health and weight loss. Wash it thoroughly under running water until the streams flowing from the colander become transparent. Now you need to pour boiling water over the grains, then again cold water. Now the brown rice is ready for the soaking process.

Even the most intensive mode in a multicooker will not make the cereal soft enough unless you immerse it in water for a while. In addition, swollen grains require less heat treatment time, which means they are healthier for both health and weight loss. Pour the washed brown rice with prepared cold water. How long will it take? At least 5 hours. Therefore, you can soak the product before leaving for work, or overnight.

How to Cook Brown Rice on the Stove

Even if you are in the process of losing weight, you can properly cook this product using a regular electric or gas stove. Unlike many other cereals, rice is placed in the pan not at the moment when the water boils, but immediately. The proportion should be 1:3, that is, 1 glass of cereal to three glasses of water, you can add salt if desired. Pour the product into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat under a tight lid for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and continue cooking for another half hour. Try not to “disturb” or stir it - then the structure of the product will not be affected.

After 30 minutes, turn off the stove, but you should wait a while longer until the liquid is completely absorbed. Now the rice is ready. It can be seasoned as you planned and served.

Rules for cooking rice in a slow cooker

As you know, a multicooker is a unique device. She can cook lunch or dinner without much hassle, which is good for both well-being and weight loss. Brown rice is no exception here.

It is important not to skip the steps of washing and soaking the product. Without the latter, uncooked rice will not cook as needed and will remain too hard.

To cook in a slow cooker, the proportions of water and the main product change somewhat: for one glass of cereal we take one glass of liquid. Place the product in a bowl and fill it with water. You need to prepare according to the instructions that came with this device. Most modern multicookers have a “rice” mode. There is no need to add salt or add anything to the product during cooking.

When the end signal sounds, you can season the rice and eat it. If you are in the process of losing weight, try not to add oil or keep it to a minimum.

Brown rice is a real, living natural product. With regular use, it will make your skin and hair beautiful, strengthen the circulatory system, charge you with energy for a long time and, of course, promote weight loss, especially if you combine it with vegetables. By observing the proportions, you will get tasty and fluffy rice - great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Brown rice differs from white rice in the degree of purification and contains more dietary fiber, which has a positive effect on intestinal function. Brown rice contains more vitamins and microelements. Don’t hesitate – include this healthy product in your menu. Rid your body of toxins and make your work easier circulatory system with useful dark rice. And it’s very easy to cook.

How to cook brown rice - preparation for cooking

Please pay attention Special attention preparing the product before cooking so that it turns out crumbly and healthy:

  • Pour the required amount of rice into a fine colander or sieve. Rinse the product under running cold water. If you see that the flowing water has become clear, stop the washing process. Washing will free the rice grains from dust and impurities;
  • scald the washed rice with boiling water;
  • Soak the rice in cold water in a deep bowl. It's best to make this overnight and prepare it in the morning. You can soak the rice in the morning, return home after work, and start preparing the dish. But the soaking process should not be less than 4-5 hours.

Brown rice has a pleasant nutty aroma. If you want to get a dish with an original taste, after soaking, dry the grains and fry them in a frying pan with vegetable oil.

Cooking brown rice in a saucepan correctly

For 1 cup of rice, take 2.5-3 cups cold water. Place the prepared rice grains into a saucepan and cover with water. Add a level teaspoon of salt and wait for the water and rice to boil on the stove. Cook over low heat in a saucepan with the lid closed for 10 minutes. Your next steps are as follows:

  • remove the pan with rice from the stove and drain the water in which it was cooked;
  • pour the lightly boiled rice again with water in the same amount;
  • add salt to taste and after boiling again, cook the dish for 20-30 minutes. You will see that all the water has been absorbed into the grains - the rice is ready.

Remove the pan with cooked rice from the stove and cover with a thick towel. The rice will finish cooking in 20 minutes and will become crumbly and soft, but not overcooked. You can leave the pan on the stove with the lid on.

How to properly cook brown rice in a slow cooker

Do you want to receive dietary dish? Use a slow cooker. Prepare:

  • a glass of brown rice;
  • 3 glasses of water;
  • salt to your taste.

Place the washed rice in the bowl of a kitchen appliance. Fill with water. Add salt to your taste. If there is not enough salt, try the dish 5 minutes before the end of cooking and add salt. Select the “Rice” mode in the multicooker, start the device for 30-35 minutes. Season cooked rice with creamy or melted butter, stir and start eating.

The shelf life of unpolished rice is shorter than that of white processed rice. Therefore, do not stock up on brown rice. Store it in a well-sealed glass jar to prevent bugs, moisture, and foreign odors from entering.

Usually add 2 tbsp to a glass of soaked brown rice. water. But if the moisture content of the rice grains is low, increase the amount of water by another 1 glass. Do not add liquid to the pan during cooking. You can pour the cereal into both cold and boiling water. It is useful to cook it in cold water under a closed lid in a saucepan. If you put rice in boiling water, do not cover the pan with a lid. The longer the grains, the better the side dish. The quality of the finished dish is affected by the type of rice, its ripeness and the degree of boiling water.

With brown rice you get a flavorful and tender side dish for fish, vegetables and meat. Believe me, this cereal will replace all other varieties of rice in your diet, but you shouldn’t get carried away with dishes made from it either.

Rice is one of the most common side dishes, however, white grains are actually not that healthy for the body. If you use brown rice that has not lost its healthy shell, then by preparing familiar dishes, you can significantly improve your health.

What it is?

Essentially, brown rice is the same as white, but unpolished. Due to the fact that the shell is not removed, the benefits of the product increase several times. It has been proven that during grinding almost 80% of the beneficial substances disappear, while brown grain retains them all. Brown rice is prepared a little differently, but not too difficult. It can be easily distinguished from its white counterpart by the characteristic shade of its natural skin. The calorie content of the product is 331 kilocalories per 100 grams. Brown rice is rich in vitamins, including group B and PP, minerals (potassium, magnesium, copper, iron and others), as well as fiber. It is also important to mention that the amount of polyunsaturated fat in brown rice is three and a half times higher than in white rice.

Benefits and harms

This cereal is useful for many diseases. The product removes toxins and waste from the body, is responsible for reducing blood sugar and prevents the development of certain inflammatory processes. Therefore, brown rice is used in the diet of patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as well as for problems with the digestive tract. Since cereals have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, the product is recommended to almost everyone, because they will definitely change in better side condition of hair, skin and other parts of the body. Doctors also advise using the product for those who need to improve intestinal motility and tidy up their nerves. Brown rice has not been found to be harmful.

Preparing cereals

Due to the existing shell, brown rice is much denser and tougher than processed white rice. This suggests that the preparation of cereals should be longer and more complicated. The cereal will have to be washed and then soaked - this procedure should speed up the further cooking process. Rinse the rice in cold water for a long time and carefully. This must be done to remove all dust, gluten, grains of flour and dirt formed both during cultivation and during transportation of the crop. In addition, water will significantly reduce the amount harmful substances, with which rice was processed.

The procedure will have to be repeated several times until the liquid becomes clear. When finished, you can pour boiling water over the cereal, and then rinse again with cold water. At the next stage, the rice is soaked in a deep container with cold water. The cereal can be soaked for up to ten hours, for example, late in the evening for the purpose of morning cooking or in the morning for an evening meal. The minimum recommended soaking period is six hours.

Cooking rules and times

Even before you start cooking, it should be mentioned that the shelf life of brown cereals is shorter than white ones. Therefore, you should not buy rice from large quantities, it is better to limit yourself to the next two meals. Cereals are best stored in glass jars with a tight-fitting lid. When starting cooking, it is very important to maintain all proportions, since adding water during cooking is strictly not recommended. If a mistake was made and towards the end it became clear that almost all the liquid had gone and the rice was still not ready, you need to remove the pan from the stove and wrap it in a warm towel for several hours.

When choosing dishes, it is recommended to give preference to large containers with a wide bottom. Firstly, this will allow the grains to warm up evenly, and secondly, the grain, which has almost tripled in size, will not come out of the pan. Brown rice goes best with peppers, turmeric and cumin. It should be warned that it is not suitable for cooking porridge. A teaspoon of salt is traditionally used per glass of cereal. Having brought the dish to a boil, the rice should be boiled over medium heat for about ten minutes, and then reduced to minimum and kept for another half hour under a closed lid. At the end of cooking, the rice remains covered for fifteen minutes so that all the water is completely absorbed.

Popular food recipes

On the stove

There are three main methods for preparing this dish as a side dish: on the stove, in a slow cooker and in a double boiler. The easiest way is, of course, the first one. First, a glass of cereal is washed and soaked for the required amount of time. Then the rice is poured with three glasses of cold water and placed on the stove. The water is brought to a boil, kept in this state for eight to ten minutes, after which the water is changed to clean, cold water.

Add salt to the rice, bring to a boil again, reduce the heat to low and leave covered for half an hour. When the water is visually absorbed into the grains, you can turn off the heat and leave the product for another ten minutes. If necessary, the saucepan can be additionally wrapped in a towel. You can season the finished dish with butter or olive oil, and then sprinkle with chopped parsley and dill.

In a steamer

Brown rice is very useful product. By cooking it in a double boiler, you can maximize its usefulness: both the structure and properties of the grains will be preserved. The correct thing to do is as follows: pour the cereal into the bowl of the unit, add cold water, which will be twice as much, close the lid and set correct mode and time 35 minutes. If there was no time to soak the rice, the processing time will increase to one hour. Cooking in a slow cooker occurs in a similar way. Rice is poured into the bowl and water is added, and the amount of liquid and solid must match. In the multicooker, select the “Rice” mode and set the time from thirty to forty minutes.

It is delicious to prepare a variety of dishes from brown rice, including those that satisfy the concept of “dietary”. Since the product has a savory, nutty flavor, it is necessary to ensure that the other ingredients used are compatible with it. Brown grains feel good next to seafood, veal, chicken, turkey and other meat products, including fatty ones. Traditional is the combination of rice with mushrooms or vegetables, as well as the use of pilaf as a component. It is impossible not to mention some recipes for soups, salads, desserts and casseroles.

Greek casserole

Cooking Greek casserole with brown rice will be very tasty and easy. First, the cereal is prepared separately in the amount of 100 grams, after which it is cooled and washed. Add one egg and 100 grams of grated hard cheese to the container with rice. Place this mixture in the prepared baking dish and put it in the oven for about five minutes. At this time, a medium-sized zucchini is peeled, grated and gets rid of excess juice.

Take 200 grams of Feta cheese, knead and combine with zucchini, after which two eggs, cut into cubes, are added to the resulting mixture bell pepper and chopped dill. Everything is supplemented with ten percent cream, salt and pepper and mixed thoroughly. The resulting mass is laid out in a mold on top of the base, everything is put into the oven. The required temperature is 180 degrees, and the cooking time is about half an hour. A few minutes before the end of the process, you can sprinkle the casserole with grated cheese to create a crust.

Risotto with brown rice

Another popular dish is risotto with brown rice. You will need one cup of cereal; of course, it must first be washed and soaked. One small onion is cut into small pieces and fried with two cloves of garlic until the mixture becomes almost transparent. Then you can add finely chopped or grated carrots and a glass of rice to it. Everything is steamed a little under a closed lid, after which it is poured with 600 milliliters of chicken or vegetable broth. The dish will simmer for twenty minutes. At the end of cooking, spices are added, such as curry and basil, as well as tomato paste ten minutes before turning off the fire.

Warm salad

Brown rice can even be an ingredient in a warm salad. To prepare one of them you will need 100 grams of cereal, 150 grams of bacon, one eggplant, one red onion, 20 grams of olives, three tablespoons of olive oil and spices. Rice is prepared according to traditional recipe. At this time, the bacon is cut into thin slices and thoroughly fried, after which it is placed in a bowl. In another frying pan, onion semicircles are processed olive oil, they are replaced by eggplant cubes with peel. The olives are cut into rings and placed in a bowl along with the rest of the prepared ingredients. Everything is salted and peppered, if desired, seasoned with the remaining oil in which the ingredients were fried.

Rice with chicken hearts

Such a simple product as chicken hearts together with brown rice will turn into an appetizing dish. The ingredients include a kilogram of offal, 100 grams of bacon, a glass of cereal, half a glass of frozen peas, five tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of dried garlic, half a teaspoon each of two types of peppers and salt. Each heart is washed and cut into two parts. Soy sauce is mixed with honey, after which offal is dipped into the mixture for a couple of hours.

At this time, the rice is cooked as usual, and the bacon begins to fry in a frying pan. The finished meat is added to the bacon along with the marinade, and the whole mixture is simmered until the moisture evaporates. When all the moisture has gone, the hearts are fried a little more, and then peas, garlic and spices are placed in the pan. Everything is kept on fire for some time, after which the meat mixture is mixed with the finished rice. If necessary, the dish is salted and decorated with fresh dill, parsley and tomato slices.

Rice with spinach

Lovers of Greek cuisine will love the combination of brown rice and spinach. In addition to a glass of cereal, you will need a tablespoon vegetable oil, onion head, a bunch of fresh spinach, two cloves of garlic, two glasses of chicken or vegetable broth, fresh parsley, 100 grams of Feta cheese, spices and lemon juice. Fry finely chopped onion in hot oil until it turns golden. After about five minutes, you can combine it with the garlic.

Fresh spinach is cut into strips and, together with washed rice and dill, placed with onions and garlic. Everything is poured with two glasses of broth and put on fire for about fifty minutes. The substance must be salted and seasoned with spices. The readiness of the dish is determined by the condition of the cereal - as soon as it becomes soft, you can turn it off. The dish is served sprinkled with cubes of Feta cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Recipe for brown rice with mushrooms and green peas watch in the next video.

There are many varieties of rice. In our country, only certain varieties are used. But in Asian countries they know a lot about grain and prepare many dishes based on it. But to make the cereal tasty, you need to know how to cook brown rice correctly.

White rice is most often used for cooking in European countries, but its only advantage is the speed of cooking. The brown variety does not like fuss.

The grains have a characteristic nutty flavor that is not lost during the cooking process or overshadowed by added ingredients.

The most difficult thing to prepare is the long soaking and washing of the grains. During cooking, experts recommend changing the water twice and rinsing brown rice. The rest of the technology is no different from preparing white rice.

After the cereal has been washed, it must be filled with water and left for 11 hours. Therefore, preparation should be done in advance and left to soak overnight. Unpolished cereals are soaked for an especially long time for dishes where it is not possible to change the water during the cooking process: meatballs, casserole, pilaf, stews.

A significant advantage of brown rice over white rice is that it has a crumbly structure and does not become overcooked.

How long to cook brown rice

The cooking time depends on which cooking method you decide to choose. If you choose a multicooker, then count on 45 minutes using the standard cooking mode. If your brown rice is soft, you will have to reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes.

If you need to cook brown rice fluffy, you will need half an hour after boiling. If you have long grain cereals, the time will increase by 15 minutes.

You cannot cook rice grains for longer than 45 minutes. Long heat treatment will destroy useful material and turns the grains into a sticky mess.

How to cook rice so that it is fluffy

You need to be especially careful in following all the recommendations in order to cook delicious brown rice. First, soak it for at least 5 hours. Then rinse and fill with water. Correct proportion- this is adding three mugs of water to a mug of cereal.

Then put it on the fire and wait for the water to boil. After this, under a closed lid, boil for five minutes. Switch the flame to low and cook for half an hour. Do not stir the cereal during cooking. After the specified time has elapsed, turn off the heat and leave for a quarter of an hour without opening the lid.

Classic recipe

Experts recommend cooking the cereal in a cauldron or double boiler, but a saucepan will do. You just have to make your choice in a saucepan with a thick bottom. It is in such a container that the rice grains will turn out crumbly. In this variation, you will learn how to properly cook brown rice on the stove.

Ingredients:

  • brown rice - 1 cup;
  • water – 720 ml.

Preparation:

  1. Rinse the grains and add water. If you have little time, set it aside for three hours. If you approached the preparation in advance, then leave the cereal to soak for 11 hours. In this case, you will have to spend less time cooking.
  2. Drain the liquid and add the amount of liquid specified in the recipe. Boil. After this point, cook the long-soaked grains for half an hour. If the cereal has been in the liquid for three hours, then it will take 45 minutes to cook.
  3. During cooking, do not lift the lid and do not stir the rice. After the liquid boils, cook over low heat.

Cooking in a slow cooker

Cooked brown rice in a slow cooker will not burn. Thanks to the timer, it will not be overcooked and will come out crumbly. The most important thing is not to skip the necessary preparation steps. Be sure to soak the product. Without this procedure, untreated grains will not be able to cook properly and will remain very hard. Cooking in a slow cooker will require completely different proportions of liquid than when cooking in a saucepan.

Ingredients:

  • brown rice - 1 cup;
  • water – 240 ml.

Preparation:

  1. Pour the liquid over the cereal and set aside for 6 hours. Rinse and transfer the cereal to a bowl. Fill with the specified amount of water.
  2. Set the device to “Rice” mode. During cooking, adding liquid and adding salt is prohibited. After the device beeps, you can add spices as desired and add salt.

How to make a side dish in a steamer

The steamer makes perfect rice for dietary nutrition. The taste of the side dish will improve significantly if you add vegetables or dried fruits.

Ingredients:

  • pepper;
  • brown rice - 1 cup;
  • bell pepper – 1 pc.;
  • olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
  • salt;
  • prunes – 30 g;
  • water – 2.5 cups.

Preparation:

  1. Rinse the cereal. Pour in liquid. Set aside for six hours. Drain the water.
  2. Pour the soaked grains into the prepared steamer insert. Add salt. Spice up.
  3. Chop the prunes. Grind bell pepper. Sprinkle the resulting cubes over the rice. Mix. Fill with water, which should be boiling. Cover with a lid and turn on the steamer.
  4. To make the side dish crumbly, you need to cook for at least an hour. If necessary, the cooking time can be increased by 10 minutes.
  5. Pour oil over the finished side dish and stir.

Brown rice: calories and nutritional value

Brown rice is considered the healthiest variety. The cereal is cleared only of the top layer of husk. All useful substances and bran are preserved with this processing method. The product will help remove cholesterol, stabilize blood flow in the body, normalize water balance and improve kidney function. If we consider the calorie content of the product in 100 grams, then for brown rice it will be 337 kcal. The same mass of rice contains 7.4 g of protein, 72.9 g of carbohydrates, 1.8 g of fat.

The most useful components included in the composition:

  • cellulose;
  • B vitamins, which help strengthen the nervous system;
  • copper;
  • 8 essential amino acids that are involved in the formation of new cells;
  • phosphorus;
  • proteins;
  • zinc;
  • folic acid.

Scientists have proven that with regular consumption of brown grains, memory will significantly improve and intelligence will increase.