Homemade Puffed Rice/Grains with Hot Salt (Murmura) Method

This is an experiment for home puffed rice, using the hot salt (murmura) method. As a quick hack for soaking/boiling & drying the rice, I'm testing with commercial parboiled rice, and instant rice products like Minute Rice.
I was hoping to find an easy way to make puffed rice snack similar to the stuff found in the cereal aisles in the grocery stores. While the hot salt method cooks up any grains in a breeze and makes for a very tasty snack, I don't think they make for interchangeable products as the puffed rice cereals we find in the US. What I accidentally discovered, is that this is a wonderfully easy way to produce large batches of home-made Genmaicha, which is green tea with 'popcorn rice' - rice that are roasted until they pop, to impart a deep toasted flavor to the tea.
Gyokuro ('Jade Dew') Green Tea: amzn.to/3XBUXHH
Kyusu Teapot: amzn.to/4042Ibb
00:00 Introduction
00:07 How commercial puffed rice is made
00:14 Puff any grain with popcorn cannon
00:33 Puff rice without pressure cooking
00:42 Indian street food puffed rice
00:56 Using commercial parboiled/instant rice for murmura
01:23 Trying other grains with hot salt method
01:31 Heating hot salt - temperature & hack
01:59 Salt puffed parboiled rice
03:04 Salt puffed instant rice
03:24 Parboiled rice vs Minute rice
03:32 Puffed rice visual comparisons
03:45 Salt puffed rice vs Rice Krispies
04:13 DIY Genmaicha
04:48 Puffing millet with hot salt
05:14 Cooking wheat berries in hot salt
05:42 Popping purple rice in hot salt
06:04 Making Popcorn with hot salt
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[@darinharvey3171]

There's no way im not going to own a cooking cannon after just learning about their existence.

[@workdaygourmet]

please come back and let us know if they're worth owning (if you still have all your fingers afterwards 😁)

[@LykeArgy]

Did it arrive yet?

[@kennethern1232]

@@workdaygourmet I got one myself and puffed fingers are also pretty good, so it's worth the first mistake!

[@ibe966]

I've experimented with this as well, and I found that parboiled rice is the only type of rice that made the puffed rice edible, and not too hard. It might also vary depending on the type of parboiled rice used. However, I also found that the salt needs to be around 230 ºC to puff up properly. Cooler than that, and the puffed rice will be too hard. I use a digital infra-red thermometer to monitor the temperature of the salt before putting in the rice. They're relatively cheap at around $20. Put the puffed rice in a bowl with milk, and they taste great. Home-puffed rice is definately better than commercial rice-crispies.

[@fraaggl]

I have personally tried to puff raw rice and it work perfectly well ! No need to cook it before.

[@annashealthylifeeverything8583]

​@@fraaggl?

[@RP-uu7oq]

Thank you so much for the tips. My first batch was a little too crunchy in the center, but the second attempt was perfect. So fast and easy!

[@nikzane]

_“If you’re entertained by pointless kitchen experiments that curbs the curiosity, please hit the subscribe button for more”_ is the most passive-aggressive call-to-action I’ve ever heard so far, I couldn’t hit that sub button faster! 😂

[@dawnallen5619]

That makes both of us😂

[@naomi-g]

This is extremely impressive. What I'm gathering is that this isn't a treat that's reasonable to make at home. Thank you!

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

The crispy rice is easy! Lol. We haven't tried the other ones yet. do a little bit more research.... I have seen other demonstrations where it was extremely easy!

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

She cooked the rice too long

[@RP-uu7oq]

I just made it using instant brown rice and salt! It was definitely good. You should give it a try. It was similar to the difference between regular chips and kettle chips. It stayed crunchy longer and was crunchier than the cereal. I managed to get it fully crisp, though, without any hard center. I find it better to place the strainer over a pot and pour the cereal out when it's done. That way you aren't trying to catch the pieces before they burn.

[@nyanuwu4209]

"Impressive"? It's salt, rice and heat.

[@patrick-quora]

I do this with parboiled rice in an ordinary frying pan. No need for salt, just make sure you find the right temperature setting on your stove.

[@Vagolyk]

Not the first time I come across the method, but definitely the most informative one. (What's with the comments here? No she didn't overcook the rice, she bought it "precooked". She said the results weren't salty even with the simplest table salt you can find.)

[@sonyalindee8676]

Because lids cause condensation ( nobody likes wet popcorn) I use an oil splatter guard😸

[@workdaygourmet]

Fwiw, wet popcorn (e.g. brown paper bag in microwave) absorbs seasoning really well 🤭

[@kukulidouce2014]

Thank you for your investigative work and imagination...!!! Don't stop finding new and short (and lazy...) ways to make life easier and more amenable...!!! Thanks for sharing your brain...!!!

[@JolynJessica]

Thx for trying all these variations. Nice work.

[@heycoolchannel6959]

This was so informative and just fascinating! Thanks for doing these experiments!

[@peterkapinos277]

Awesome trials. I learned a lot here. Well made and to the point.

[@ellenlittle6551]

This is so cool! Thanks for sharing your experimentation! I love genmaicha, so this is exciting for me.

[@workdaygourmet]

Roasted grains add really interesting flavors to tea! Genmai is probably the best known in the west - barley tea and buckwheat tea are actually quite popular too in east asia, could be fun to try out at home too!

[@HM-oy1cm]

I love your personality, awesome video!

[@protogenx]

I appreciate your work bc thats alot of effort much thanks to you 👍

[@kzookid2051]

Very interesting! Thanks.

[@flashthompson7]

Love the fireworks at the end 👍❤️‍🔥

[@AdamBechtol]

Nice. Thanks :) Gave me an idea about alternatives to those machines.

[@workdaygourmet]

Salt works better than hot air popcorn machines for smaller grains 😁

[@lrodriguez5545]

In India the rice is treated first with edible soda, then dried up, and cook in sand for making Muri Or puffed rice

[@workdaygourmet]

What is the purpose of the soda?

[@lrodriguez5545]

The raw rice pre-process. The extreme Parboiled rice is washed then mixed with salt or soda, then is dried up (sun or dryer), if sun dried, to secure is very well dried, rice must be roast. And finally you got rice for pop up rice. In India it's looks like they tosed plain rice, but it's a special treated rice😅

[@TonyGonzales]

Really neat! Now I'm off to buy a tea pot

[@workdaygourmet]

This is my gateway teapot 😋 warning: may start collection obsession

[@BlackJesus8463]

Nice! 👍

[@rawbacon]

Well that was fun.

[@Astroidboy.]

Awesome video. Do you know who created Corn, sweet potatoes?

[@elizabethlee704]

We eat popped sorghum. I can't wait to try and make my own WITH a lid.

[@workdaygourmet]

I had to look that up, super interesting! Now I have to get some sorghum and try it out!

[@matiassu5604]

@@workdaygourmet get the white varieties. The darker ones are full of tannins.

[@hairyballbastic8943]

Amazing vid! i thought I had to buy a specific black sand in order for this to work after watching a different recipe, but this is super promising! I wonder what other uses the popped grains might have. Also this is a good oil free way to make some popcorn if you figure out a good way to keep all the salt contained while still being able to stir it

[@workdaygourmet]

I saw people use popped mustard seed for cooking - I wonder if the same works for grains of all kind, like add nuttiness, texture, and maybe make them absorb sauces better too!

[@sebaschan-uwu]

Covering the pot? Lol

[@ivyclark70]

Thank you for sharing your experiments with us. I was looking for ways to make puffed rice and saw the Indian Street vendor video which made it look so easy. But I guess it's not as good or as easy as it looks.

[@workdaygourmet]

Street vendors are always incredibly efficient at what they do, I find most street food a lot slower/more challenging to replicate at home

[@cw4608]

Apparently I am entertained by pointless kitchen experiments. What a fun video.

[@RM-yf2lu]

In india they add a tbsp of water to the rice first

[@mgm2008]

Thanks for showing us how to do this!!!!!! Uh oh! The corn was a mess! 😬 I was thinking if you had an old fashioned stove top popcorn pan that you could prevent the mess. Those pans have a stirring bar inside it so you could keep stirring and have the lid on to keep everything from popping out!!

[@workdaygourmet]

I actually have multiple popcorn makers 😂 there's definitely little need to come up with new ways to pop corns beyond the classic methods. A little oil and a lid works great. I just wanted to finish the salt experiment on a high note with a grain that I know definitely would work. Who knew it would be such disaster!

[@mailleweaver]

@@workdaygourmet I thought it was going to be messy when you covered up the single test piece at the beginning. I theorize it must have been the weight of the salt that kept it contained. The scooped kernels weren't all buried so well when they popped, so the salt was thrown more.

[@zxcvbob]

Thanks for this video. I wonder if the moisture content was high enough in the grains, or maybe they sealed up in a jar overnight with a spoonful of water first to increase the moisture? Mustard seeds would be good to try too 🙂

[@workdaygourmet]

I had never imagined mustard seed to be a thing for popping, that is so interesting! what does it taste like? more like the condiment or more like a grain?

[@zxcvbob]

I don't know, popped mustard seeds are used in Indian cooking, but they are usually popped in oil to flavor the oil and then left in when you add the rest of the ingredients. (I've never tried it, just heard of it)

[@nyanuwu4209]

The hardness of the salt-puffed rice seems ideal for cereal purposes. Rice Krispies famously go soggy in all of ten seconds.

[@workdaygourmet]

Good point, they might be really good with a longer soak!

[@eik00072]

would this work with rolled rice? Has anyone tried? I noticed that the branded puffed rice was pretty flat.

[@maarkaus48]

I would like to try this, but wonder about the salt content. Would any stay with the rice? Really neat idea.

[@workdaygourmet]

Doesn't taste salty to me at all - more sensitive people might notice a little. Use a more coarse mesh if you're worried.

[@maarkaus48]

@@workdaygourmet Thank you! This looks like a fun project to try with my kids. I will give it a try.

[@Tyler-hs9eu]

Love the straightforward demonstration and presentation. I will definitely give it a shot, kinda looks like maggots though!

[@workdaygourmet]

😂😂😂 now I can't unsee it!

[@alex375ful]

What is the most common rice they use to pop it in a cannon? Mine keep coming out not all puffed up

[@workdaygourmet]

a lot of puffed rice package seem to call for brown rice, maybe the husk makes it easier to pop?

[@Ichorof]

I love that you experimented and the wheat berries seem a good higher protein alternative. I’m going to try making it and pour some dark chocolate on them.

[@NZHorizones]

Did you par boil the mullet or wheat?

[@workdaygourmet]

No, none of the grains with natural husk was boiled

[@WobblesandBean]

Oooo I wanna do that with quinoa and amaranth!

[@workdaygourmet]

Great idea! Now I know what to do with my amaranth plant seeds this year! (Not enough for a bowl of grains, too many for replanting - popping is perfect!)

[@thentheric6361]

Were all the grains parboiled?

[@workdaygourmet]

Only the rice was. Everything else had original husk

[@user-hc9ry9iq1v]

🙏🙏🙏 salt!!! evrika!!!

[@user-ok5fw4od6b]

I would soak your parboil rice a little then dry quickly and then puff so there is more moisture

[@workdaygourmet]

How do you dry quickly? Doesn't it usually take at least overnight if not a few days?

[@user-ok5fw4od6b]

@@workdaygourmet like in a towel. When using salt or sand. Not the same as oil. But really i am just curious and hope to try sometime researching

[@amberfloyd370]

Most people put a lid over the pot when popping corn. Cause it goes flying and making a mess.

[@wtaywebb4269]

Dont know what i did. It failed. I got minute maid rice . What do i do with it then

[@workdaygourmet]

If it's not burnt you can throw it in a blender and use it like gluten free flour

[@Tadneiko]

What about in an instant pot?

[@workdaygourmet]

Instant pot/pressure cooker generally call for water to build pressure. Using them for dry pops at home just didn't feel safe...

[@pakbowl420]

does the puffed rice taste salty at all?

[@workdaygourmet]

Not at all, as long as the salt is sifted away (maybe with a mesh that's not super fine)

[@keepfocus1214]

can I use celtic salt?

[@workdaygourmet]

any fine salt will do - some folks even swear by coarse salt (I haven't tried but people in the comment section had with success)

[@ohkeydokeythen]

Has anyone tried putting rice in an air popper for popcorn?

[@shannahsnyder5653]

Why didn't you precook the grains?

[@workdaygourmet]

Tbh I thought whole grains in husk would pop like popcorns

[@blenderbenderguy]

I was thoroughly entertained by your pointless experiment. Thanks for your efforts!

[@erniemiller1953]

The wheat and millet need to be soaked. They did not swell because it lacks water inside.

[@travisfox5034]

It's much better to use something like black Salt or even sea salt. The coarser grain doesn't stick to the product (there IS residual saltiness from powdered salt, at least my family can tell a difference).

[@workdaygourmet]

The salt I used has a fineness close to granulated sugar, not as fine as powdered, so it didn't impart discernible saltiness that I could tell. I didn't know coarser salt would work, since grains needed to be fully submerged, I thought coarser pieces would have more space in between

[@travisfox5034]

@@workdaygourmet the steam from popping will allow some salt to adhere to the grains. I admit its not much but has been noticeable in my family. As long as the bottom of your pan is covered in the coarser grain and you stir as it puffs they will work perfectly as a heat conductor. It doesn't adhere as well, and if you use black salt, it's much easier to get any small pieces that may stick. There are other videos discussing the differences between types of salt/sand to use to puff grains that go into more detail. Whatever works for your family is best, always. Just putting it out there that there are other options.

[@fraaggl]

0:33 you absolutely don't need to cook the rice before boiling it !!!!

[@1Bonnie777]

bock bock bock bock bock

[@PankajDoharey]

Your millet didnt expand fully, they expand even more the temperateure was not right i suppose. They look like distant cousin of popcorn,

[@floridagirl8540]

The cannon looks scary

[@workdaygourmet]

I think it actually is pretty dangerous, despite the comment section remaining amazingly undeterred 🙈

[@cabudagavin3896]

Rice krispies arent puffed rice ... Look at the back of the pack, they are a mixture

[@workdaygourmet]

I noticed the size is too different from whole grain puffs, they're mashed rice paste deceptively shaped!

[@cabudagavin3896]

@@workdaygourmet Ding ding ding, and in my country our brand of the things mix wheat flour in too...

[@Wixyification]

​@@workdaygourmetI looked up their process in their patent and it seems they form a dough from water and rice flour(with other stuff) then extrude it to the flat shapes then toast that dough up.

[@qcsupport2594]

I hope that wasn't a nonstick pan.

[@UnknownUnitW10]

Yaaa fuck all this nonsens im going to stick with popcorn. Put it in the microwave for 2mins dry and its done.

[@SpartanJoe193]

Or just heat the oil first then put the grains in.

[@Crazy--Clown]

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