Perfect Parboiled Rice Recipe (2024)

Published: Nov 29, 2022 by Muna · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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Parboiled riceis forgiving; you can not ruin the rice as quickly as you can with regular rice. If you overboilit, unlike regular rice, it will not turn mushy so quickly. I am usingthis recipe's boil and drain method; it is faster and more convenient.

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🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
💭 COOKING TIPS
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
🍲 MORE RICE RECIPES
🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Long-grain basmati riceis the rice I love to use in cooking. As a food blogger,parboiled rice,if cooked properly, will look great in pictures, which is why I prefer usingit.

Parboiled ricehas morenutrientsthan normal basmati rice. Today I am sharing my way of cooking the perfectparboiled rice.

If you undercook it, all you have to do is add hot water and let it cook some more, and it won’t stick together. You’ll love having it with Chicken Adobo.

🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.

Uncooked basmati parboiled rice: There are different types of parboiled rice, make sure you get the basmati long grain.

Olive oil: It adds flavor to the rice and also helps prevent it from sticking to the pan.

Water and salt: The amount of water might be a little more than what you expect, but parboiled rice needs a lot of water to cook in.

🔪 HOW TO MAKE

The process of making perfectparboiled riceis almost the same as cooking the usual basmati rice, but there are fewer chances of messing it up, in a way, it is a forgiving rice.

Step 1

In boiling water, add the olive oil and salt.

Step 2

Add the washed and soaked rice to the boiling water. Let it come to a boil, and reduce the heat. Cook for 14 minutes.

Step 3

Drain the rice and return it to the pan. Cover for 15 minutes and then serve.

💭 COOKING TIPS

Make sure to buy long-grain basmati parboiled rice.
Instead of olive oil, you can go for another oil or even butter.
Do not add the rice until the water comes to a rolling boil, or the rice will turn starchy and sticky.

📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS

Add chicken or beef stock: Drop a cube of chicken or beef bouillon for added flavor.

Tomato paste: To color and flavor the rice, add two tablespoons of tomato paste to the boiling water. You can also go for seasoned tomato paste.

Caramelized onion: This parboiled rice will taste awesome when mixed with caramelized onion. If you have fresh caramelized onion, add it to the rice after draining it. If you are using dried onions, add it 2 minutes before draining the rice.

💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Parboiled Rice?

Parboiled rice (also known as converted rice) is long-grain rice that has been steam-cooked before it is dried. This means that the rice is partially boiled in its inedible outer husk before it’s processed further.
This is an ancient practice from some African countries, dating back thousands of years, as it made removing the husk from the rice easier!

What's the Difference between Parboiled Rice and White Rice?

Both white rice and parboiled rice are quite similar, yet different. They’re both extra-long grain rice, but the difference comes from how it is processed.
The processing method for parboiled rice adds a more yellow color and has a stronger taste than regular white rice.

🍲 MORE RICE RECIPES

Coconut Water Fluffy Rice
Buttery Lime Rice Recipe
Coconut Milk Rice (Stovetop + Pressure Cooker)
Mujadara Lentils And Rice Vegan Recipe With a Video

🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING

Refrigerator: Place the cooked and cooled rice in an airtight plastic container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Freezing: For best storage, spread the rice on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for an hour to an hour and a half. Break the rice, place it in a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw frozen rice: Place the rice in the fridge to thaw and then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

📖 Recipe

Perfect Parboiled Rice

The recipe for Perfect Parboiled Rice will make you enjoy cooking rice, not only that, perfectly cooked rice looks great in pictures too.

4.60 from 25 votes

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Course: Starter

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: parboiled rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Soaking the rice: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 44 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup uncooked parboiled rice long grain rice or basmati parboiled rice.
▢ 1 tablespoon salt, leveled
▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
▢ 7 ½ cup water

Instructions

Wash and rinse the rice until the water is almost clear.
Soak rice in lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes.
In a pan, boil the water, add salt and olive oil.
When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the rice, let it come to a boil again.
Cook the rice on medium-high heat for 14 minutes.
Drain the rice. Return the rice to the pan and cover. Keep the rice covered for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="jsiUVF0O" upload-date="2021-11-23T14:45:44.000Z" name="Parboiled Rice Recipe" description="The recipe for Perfect Parboiled Rice will make you enjoy cooking rice, not only that, perfectly cooked rice looks great in pictures too." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]

Notes

Washing the rice is crucial unless its package says it’s been washed before packing or mentions (washing not required) on the box.
Make sure the water reached a rolling boil or else the rice will turn sticky and starchy.
Instead of olive oil, you can add regular oil or unsalted butter.

Nutrition

Did You Make This Recipe?Please let me know how you liked it! Tage me @MunatyCooking

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Muna is a food blogger and a food photographer. She is passionate about sharing easy-to-follow and delicious recipes from around the world. Her goal is to help you recreate restaurant-style meals in the comfort of your own home, using readily available ingredients and straightforward instructions.about me!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Farida
May 29, 2016 at 7:12 am
I never tried this way, this is huge amount of water per cup, will try it next time!
Reply
- munatycooking
  May 29, 2016 at 10:00 pm
  Hi Farida,
  This is a boil and drain method, it requires more water so the rice doesn't get starchy and stick together, also one cup of par-boiled rice when cooked become much bigger and longer than normal rice. believe me, this much water is the right amount. Please let me know your feedback whenever you try it 🙂
  Reply
Chris Scheuer
May 30, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Your rice comes out just beautiful! I can see why you like to use this method, especially for photoshoots!
Reply
- munatycooking
  June 01, 2016 at 10:42 am
  Thanks Chris 🙂
  Reply
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
June 21, 2016 at 8:08 pm
The rice came out just beautiful! It's perfect white and perfectly cooked!
Reply
- munatycooking
  June 22, 2016 at 9:47 am
  Thanks Nagi, you are so sweet 🙂
  Reply
Favour adelaiye
March 08, 2017 at 12:44 am
Wow it looking perfect. I will try it when next i cook my rice
Reply
Spyros
See Also
Slow Cooker Keto Recipes.
May 19, 2017 at 4:41 pm
The rice came out awesome, cooked to perfection. Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely be cooking parboiled this way from now on. 🙂
Just one -rather theoretical- question. Why soak the rice? It didn't seem to have any noticeable effect on volume, so I guess the water didn't actually penetrate the rice.
Reply
- munatycooking
  May 23, 2017 at 7:28 pm
  The soaking makes the cooking time shorter.
  Reply
Workstation
January 04, 2020 at 8:13 am
I thought you are not supposed to rinse the parboiled rice.
Reply
- munatycooking
  January 24, 2020 at 2:21 pm
  It depends on the brand you are using!
  Reply
  - B. Silver
    February 20, 2021 at 9:56 am
    When you return the rice to the pan after draining the water, you say to return it to the pan and cover it for 15 minutes. Shouod the heat still be on medium-high? (I doubt it...?) Or, should it be on low? Or do I turn off the heat entirely and just let it sit covered while the stove is off? Thanks very much for clarifying.
    Reply
    - munatycooking
      February 23, 2021 at 3:09 am
      Hi, the heat should be off! Hope this helped 🙂
      Reply
Monica Simpson
July 22, 2020 at 12:07 pm
I'll have to look for parboiled Basmati next time I'm at the store. I find it so annoying when rice doesn't turn out right.
Reply
Sarah
July 22, 2020 at 4:27 pm
My husband is a big lover of rice. I'll have to try this.
Reply
- munatycooking
  July 23, 2020 at 8:48 am
  Let me know, how it turned out for you 😉
  Reply
vidya
July 24, 2020 at 7:35 pm
thanks for the details.. i have not tried parboiled basmati yet..
and did not realize that this looks better photographed :)that is a cool tip to know
Reply
- munatycooking
  July 25, 2020 at 5:08 am
  You are welcome Vidya 🙂
  Reply
Nicole Hood
July 25, 2020 at 12:15 am
A good recipe to master. It goes with everything!
Reply
Annie T
November 04, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Do you have any comments on how much water, salt, olive oil to add for 2, 3 cups of rice or should I just multiply up? 1 cup of rice is not enough for my family and I still think 15 cups of water for 2 cups of rice is too much. Thanks
Reply
- munatycooking
  November 06, 2020 at 10:53 am
  Hi Annie, the idea behind adding that much water is to allow each grain of rice to cook freely and not produce starch and get sticky. You can add less water as long as the rice doesn't get starchy while cooking. You can always keep extra hot water aside and add it to the rice if the water reduced or the rice looked starchy. I hope this helped 🙂
  Reply
Erika Hildebrandt
December 28, 2020 at 5:05 pm

Great recipe, thank you!
Reply
Bagia Puran
January 07, 2021 at 10:33 pm

How much water does one need for the rice cooker method?
I have used 2.5 cups of water per cup of rice in my rice cooker. I wasn't very happy as the cooke rice remained a but rubbery or grains too separated
Reply
- munatycooking
  January 10, 2021 at 9:23 am
  I have never made parboiled rice in a rice cooker before, I'm not sure I can offer more guidance on this.
  Reply
Frances
January 19, 2021 at 7:58 pm

wow, I tried this and came out with rice that didn't go to mush and the grains did seem longer. I have always had a terrible time with rice and this method turned out really well. This is now the method I will use. Thank you
Reply
- munatycooking
  February 04, 2021 at 4:12 am
  Thank you so much for your kind comment 🙂
  Reply
Trishe
February 02, 2021 at 11:29 pm

I was a bit merit l nervous I would fail again but with your simple steps my rice came out perfect! Thank you
Reply
- munatycooking
  February 04, 2021 at 4:02 am
  You are most welcome 🙂
  Reply
Betty A Kradel
May 13, 2021 at 8:51 pm

I make this weekly! My husband calls it magical basmati rice 🙂 Lovely forgiving cooking formula. I am going to try a similar, water modified, method using brown basmati! Thank you so much.
Reply
- munatycooking
  May 20, 2021 at 5:10 pm
  I'm glad that you enjoyed my recipe 🙂
  Reply
Teresa Cordes
October 02, 2022 at 8:22 pm
Are there options for longer term storage e.g. freezing?
Thanks for an informative site.
Reply
- Muna
  October 05, 2022 at 2:55 am
  Hi Teresa, you can freeze the parboiled rice but some said that it gets dry when microwaved, so it's better to reheat it on the stovetop. Hope this helped 😊
  Reply

FAQs

What is the best way to cook parboiled rice? ›

Bring 2 ¼ cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart heavy saucepan. Add olive oil and salt, if desired. Stir in 1 cup rice. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

View Details ›

What is the ratio of parboiled rice to water? ›

To make traditional extra long grain parboiled rice, you'll need 2 ¼ cups of water for every 1 cup of rice. However, it's important to read the directions carefully as medium grain varieties require just 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice.

Get More Info ›

Should parboiled rice be rinsed? ›

There are ways to reduce the amount of arsenic you ingest when you eat parboiled rice. Rinsing your rice in clean water and cooking your rice thoroughly can help remove some of the arsenic from your rice.

Get More Info ›

Do you cook parboiled rice differently? ›

Parboiled rice does have a different cook time than regular white rice (it's a little bit longer) but otherwise cooks in the same way. All it needs is some time simmering in hot water to become soft. You can make parboiled rice on the stove, in the Instant Pot, in a rice cooker, or in a microwave oven.

Tell Me More ›

Why does parboiled rice taste different? ›

This process involves soaking the rice in water, steaming it under pressure, and then drying it out. The end result is a rice grain that is firm and less sticky than regular white rice, with a hint of a nutty flavor. Parboiled rice is commonly used in dishes such as pilafs, salads, and stir-fries.

Discover More ›

What is parboiled rice best used for? ›

Parboiled rice is also very fluffy and doesn't stick together, which makes it great for pilafs or people who just don't like sticky rice. I think it's very similar to regular white rice, but the grains just seem more puffy.

Get More Info Here ›

Why is my parboiled rice mushy? ›

Mushy or soggy rice is usually caused by two things: the rice is overcooked, and too much liquid is absorbed into the rice. When the rice overcooks and absorbs excess water, the grains can split open, increasing the starchy and sticky texture.

Find Out More ›

Is parboiled rice healthier than white rice? ›

Parboiled rice is often considered healthier than white rice due to its unique processing method, which retains more nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Parboiled rice has a lower glycemic index, more dietary fiber, and improved nutritional density compared to white rice.

What is the difference between white rice and parboiled rice? ›

Parboiled rice is higher in fiber and protein than white rice but is less nutritious than brown rice. Parboiled rice, also called converted rice, is partially precooked in its inedible husk before being processed for eating.

Know More ›

Why do restaurants use parboiled rice? ›

Food vendors and restaurant owners start to use parboiled rice because it is already clean and easy to cook. Most importantly, parboiled rice is more nutritious than non-parboiled rice.

How long to cook 2 cups of parboiled rice? ›

Parboil Rice Cooking Instructions

Combine in a 2 quart saucepan – 1 cup rice, 2 ¼ cups water, 1 tsp salt (optional) and 1 tbsp oil or margarine (optional).
Stir lightly, bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

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See Details ›

How long do you cook parboiled rice for? ›

Once the water has boiled, add the rice, cover it with a lid, and simmer everything for 15 to 25 minutes. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and fluff it with a fork before serving. For more tips on cooking parboiled rice, like how to cook rice in the microwave, keep scrolling!