The Science of Rice

Rice is the most widely consumed cereal grain on the planet. It accounts for about 20% of all calories consumed by human beings.
It is also very time efficient. Unlike bread or chapathis, rice consuming households tend to spend lesser time in the kitchen because you can cook a large amount of rice in one shot!
In this video, I collaborate with Aruna Vijay, Masterchef finalist (Top 4) ( aruna_vijay_masterchef?hl=en) to break down the most important food science elements of rice that will make you a better cook.
You can also read the entire chapters of the science of rice and the science of making Biryani in the new illustrated edition of my book:
Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking (www.amazon.in/Masala-Lab-Illustrated-Beautiful-Bestselling/dp/0670098566)

[@Abrakadabra9to5]

Well one point missed is sequence of eating has great effect of how blood sugar spikes...eating veggies first not just along with will ensure there will be a coating of fibre on intestines also adding ghee or fat to rice eating it along with Dall will reduce sugar spike further 😊

[@krishashok]

Yes, it's an important point, one that I will cover in subsequent videos

[@jamievarni1530]

Logical.

[@Chuckruu]

@@krishashokand adding a vinegary or lemony pickle to meal and if have beans with meal helps prevent glucose spikes.

[@lalitaarwade9448]

My grandparents ate only rice with a lot of vegetables as a tamil bramin but were never overweight and remained mostly healthy. Actually my grandmother passed away at 92 with no B P or diabetes but due to age . Chappati was made only when we visited them that too maybe once a week . 😅

[@krishashok]

Overall meal matters more than the rice. As you said, a lot of vegetables really help! But beyond all of that, genetics and lifestyle also plays a huge role.

[@jagatchaitanyaprabhala8668]

Also Lalita has survival bias in her argument. In our grandparents generation each family used to have upto 10-12 kids out of which only 5-6 survived till adulthood so obviously the survived people without medical interventions are healthiest of the lot n are expected to survive till near 100yrs

[@1985priyadarsini]

i think u r gradmother used to do all means all cooking by herself i think including with out mixer, washing matchine, maid, gas, vacume cleaners but now a days we r eating the same like gps but chores?

[@krishashok]

@@jagatchaitanyaprabhala8668 Indeed. A very common cognitive bias

[@fannyissac7398]

Good health and longevity is a by product of multiple reasons: Stress levels, Family environment ( socio economic status) food habits and above all God's plan.

[@arupsan]

A fan of your work .. lately … very few people can explain the way you explain .. of course looking forward to buying your book

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@arunprakash9929]

Sir, your content is excellent. I always enjoy the way you explain food. You explain a lot of information about history, science, myths, and health. One location for all food content. Please continue to post such videos as they will benefit all generations.

[@krishashok]

Thank you Arun!

[@pavanmadiraju]

Incredible Video with Stunning Graphics! I wanted to express my gratitude for your amazing videos. I'm genuinely thrilled that I stumbled upon your channel! Without fail, I find myself bringing up your channel at family and friend gatherings whenever someone starts spreading false information about food. Thank you

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@jujijiju6929]

I wonder how much time does it take to make such a detailed video, I imagine it's at the very least a couple of weeks. Great work!

[@krishashok]

I write as and when and then record it one shot

[@madeinandhra12-rk5mw]

@@krishashok I am not a professional KZbinr, but I started some conversations recently - too very impressed with your presentation style - and exceptional content. Kudos sir.

[@VidhiKhandel]

I feel lucky to have stumbled upon your channel. Thank you so much for making all this information available for us.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@nkapadikar]

Love the way you structure your content. Bought your book by the way, and that's excellent too.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@ShivvaniPujar]

Debunked so many myths, especially about eating refrigerated rice. Thank you so much. Curd-rice after every meal is religion for most South Indians like me.

[@ssz974]

I love parboiled rice and I find it very versatile. One can use it effectively for daal chawal, biryani or risotto. I like rice soft (not al dente) so here is a little trick I have learnt. I roast the rice with a tablespoon of ghee in the cooker, till it gives its nutty fragrance and slightly brown color. I then add water and a pinch of salt, and let it cook on low-medium flame for 3-5 whistles. This recipe is very forgiving if one adds a little extra water too. Rice always comes out soft and fluffy, with each grain separated.

[@krishashok]

Perfect!

[@yakshashreyas]

Another trick - if you don't have time.. or don't want to roast. Just add a teaspoon of coconut oil/ any oil and salt. Close the lid and let it cook. The lipids do the Job..! *Option 2 :- Just squeeze half a lemon into it and let it cook.

[@cavenavasagam6461]

My grandmother from Jaffna, drained the rice and used the rice kanji as hair conditioner or threw it out. She also made many side dishes to go with the rice. I am looking back at Traditions for health.

[@Banzybanz]

Krish (Should I refer to you as Krish or Ashok?) I think rice is only the 3rd most produced food due to a technicality. We measure food production differently for different commodities. Sugarcane is harvested and measured whole but most of it is just cellulose to be thrown away or turned into paper/cardboard. Sugarcane yields only about 7-10% sugar. Maize is also harvested and measured with the cob, most of which is thrown away. Maize grains make up minority of the weight. Whereas rice/paddy yeild is measured with the husked grain. After milling it still retains majority of the weight, which is almost all starch.

[@krishashok]

(Ashok). Yes, the technicality is noted

[@auditigupta4697]

His videos are just addicting 😅 But its so hard to convince family members and husband to take a more scientific approach to cooking 😂😢😅

[@krishashok]

Don’t worry about the older generation. Focus on the current one 😅

[@anujakumar06]

This is awesome!! Such detailed information about all types of rice and your wonderful way of explaining things!! Thanks so much! 🙏🙏

[@ub2095]

Namaskaram, starting from Aliens and finishing to Tamil proverb about Rice is interesting. The way u tell about everything in micro is knowledgble. Seen only 2 to 3 videos of urs and became a fan. May Perumal bless u with more Knowledge and continue to educate us more and more. 🙏

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@JayJLucas]

I’ve only recently seen your videos popping up for me. I’m very much enjoying them! So I’ve subscribed. Science and cooking go so excellently together! I think you provide a nice balance of material for people of all levels of knowledge. I think you may have even outshined my old favourite Alton Brown :)

[@krishashok]

Ah! High praise!

[@srijit999]

We still cook paraboiled rice in a pot of water and then drain out the water once cooked. This makes good fluffy rice. The water drained out is used as drinking water or used next day as hair wash :)

[@redbaron9029]

What effet it has on hair?

[@srijit999]

@@redbaron9029 its supposed to be a grandma recipe for hair growth in India and china

[@joytikukreja245]

Does parboiled rice take longer to cook than white rice??

[@srijit999]

@@joytikukreja245 It does a bit more. Depends on the varieties you are comparing with.

[@joytikukreja245]

@@srijit999 Okay...thnx for your reply 🙏

[@offandon]

Wanted to add how korean rice cookers help in removing a lot of the guess work due to the incredible tech that's packed in. They even have a small container in the back to help collect any amount of excess water.

[@krishashok]

Absolutely

[@KunalSakpal]

My grandma used to have different rice to water ratio based on the age of the rice. If it was harvested recently, it’d be more sticky. Old rice needed more water.

[@jeetsb]

Lovely video and such a wonderful poem at the end. A culture of food surely writes poems and songs about food. Beautiful! Thank you!

[@krishashok]

The number of food related metaphors in Tamil is quite staggering. Made more fascinating by the fact that the written/formal language has remain unchanged for the most part of the last 3000 years!

[@DeepakTiwariED]

What a great video for a rice lover like me! :D Thank you Krish for the amazing content and please keep making such nice videos.

[@deepakgopinathan7862]

Love this as always Krrish. I loved your podcasts with Amit Verma. Very enlightening. And also glad that you're wearing LOS POLLOS T-shirt :)

[@krishashok]

Hehe thank you

[@sarathi1638]

In Odisha we consume Usuna rice(parboiled rice) daily using the draining method of cooking. Sitabhog and arua(polished rice) is consumed during festive occasions.

[@maniaphobia4719]

Yes true ; Odisha rice preparations with spices are good ( jeera rice for eg ) , Dhall alongwith Bindi fry is terrible ; I lived next to Odisha family ; Very healthy also ; I never hesitate to go whenever they invite me ;

[@arnavkalita6326]

Hi.. love your content... We in Assam consume Rice as our staple so much so that the Assamese word for Lunch and Dinner is "Bhaat" or rice😊...

[@Nirav_Patel3479]

Love this content sir. Also, reading your book. :) Thank you for sharing all the insights.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@Mangosteencountry]

fantastic video! really love your informative content Krish.

[@Tztzt1221]

You are so good... i hope your channel reaches great success The way you address the topics is exceptional.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@Dhr6705]

That is an OMG information about grass!! Awesome!!

[@thersam6037]

Fantastic INTRODUCTION

[@Taalmagic]

Small suggestion to your video editor (or you if you do it yourself) it a best to avoid using these random clips in the middle that are used to emphasise key words or some phrases. They look out of context from the central theme and are distracting. Other than that the video is (as always) very well researched and informative. Thank you for making this.

[@venkataraghavand655]

The "koodarai vellumseer Govinda" (Thiruppavai) reference was a nice topping for this wonderful video on rice!!!

[@krishashok]

Thank you

[@TheTonymathew]

Very happy to see videos from you which gives very scientific view on food that we eat. We require more people like you in India where myths are more prevalent.

[@tapanchudasama6656]

Brillant video. I like this highly detailed content much more than the reels.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@shridhivyasadagopan9853]

​@@krishashok Thanks yet again for this extremely informative video! And the ending with Thiruppavai made it even better! 😊 It made me feel happy as recently, I chose to give away rice packs as return gift for my wedding! :)

[@terenaam5825]

Rice & curry with lots of seasonal veggies, buttermilk❤😋👌

[@divya23r]

Brilliant content! Thank you for being so thorough! One quick question (probably a silly one) - so should one re heat the refrigerated rice or not? Will it bring back the starch to normal or it won't matter?

[@krishashok]

Not that much. You will still benefit

[@thangalewis8957]

Well explained. Thanks for sharing. love your videos.

[@krishashok]

Glad you like them!

[@ranganathmudumba9812]

Ending with tiruppavy is mind blowing 🎉

[@sujaniganne7047]

Excellent research!! I became a big fan of your videos.. I checked for your book at the Bangalore airport bookstore before boarding..but they didn’t have it. Please sell there too..

[@krishashok]

Just been published, so it will take some time to get to all bookstores! You can get it on amazon right away - www.amazon.in/Masala-Lab-Illustrated-Beautiful-Bestselling/dp/0670098566/

[@yerrakrishnarao8041]

Wonderful presentation with technical explanation. I appreciate your hardwork . bless you

[@sanketmukherjee7039]

I just love your content. Looking forward to more such interesting videos.

[@krishashok]

Thank you Sanket

[@sharma1237]

This is by far one of the great contents on the internet ❤

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@dilly-2-philly841]

Thanks Krish. Do you have anything to say on nonstick cooking surfaces (skillets/pans etc.) and aluminum cookware? Which is the safest cooking surface?

[@krishashok]

Don’t waste your time bothering about cookware. Makes little or no difference

[@dilly-2-philly841]

@@krishashok Thanks a lot. No more wasting hard earned money on those fancy sounding non-stick cookware.

[@madeinandhra12-rk5mw]

Brilliant Content and extraordinary presentation Krishashok - amazing narration.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@Human_soul_n_mind]

13:31 and #north_east india , we also consume rice only 3 times daily, (roti is occasionally or early morning sometimes)

[@rsv1503]

Thanks. Is the cooking time and water addition same for brown rice also? Do we soak brown rice before cooking? Please answer.

[@kingoking628]

Sir very informative video, excellent, sir in my daily dinner I only eat rice with any pulses, is it good ?

[@dcmhsotaeh]

Dishes very similar to biriyani have been mentioned in Deccan South Indian ancient books like King Nalas Paaka Darpana and Manasollasa of Chalukyan era Biryani is a South Indian item

[@saisuryapavanrajugolla8208]

Being a Food Technologist I would appreciate the effort for making this video.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@dbcoopirl]

Stunning video. I just wish you had shone some light on black rice as well. Maybe in another video. I love your approach to food.

[@ssslayer]

A correction, rice doesnt absorb water 1:1. It varies based on variety as well as personal preference of mushiness. Actual absorbtion tends to be between 1:1 to 1:2. Hiw do i know? Because i have done experiment using weighing scales to weigh Uncooked rice, water absorbed, water evaporated, water discarded, final cooked rice Also whether you cook 100 g rice or 10 kg rice, the water requirement scales up proportionally - i dont know why you believe that proportions will not scale up with quantity.

[@ManOfSteel1]

make a video of types of food like grains,legumes,pulses,nuts,millets etc....

[@krishashok]

Will do!

[@mlngowtham]

That's why in South India in every religious occasion priests sprinkle rice grains on the heads blessings to live long. Actually those are called "akshath" meaning there is no end or un destructive.

[@nirupamaraghavan8916]

While we might have bever eaten brown rice, historically we might have never eaten fully polished rice. Husk was removed by hand pounding (/ kai kuthal/ dampudu) raw paddy or para boiled paddy. Hand pounding raw paddy will result in rupturing of bran and we might have ended up with rice with some bran in it. Paraboiled rice will have little bran in it but lot of nutrients supposedly get in to the kernel from bran during soaking and boiling.

[@divyarajin84]

Brilliantly explained. Can you tell about rice soaked in water overnight ?

[@krishashok]

Cooked rice soaked in water overnight will ferment and it is healthy

[@GeminiAmbience]

So do we eat the refrigerated rice cold to keep the caloric reduction, or will re-heating the rice reverse the retrogradation?

[@krishashok]

It won’t.

[@sudhir911]

Cooked rice kept in fridge turns into” resistant starch” which delays absorption and prevents glucose spikes. One can heat the rice ( less than 30 seconds)after taking it out of fridge. One can keep the rice in fridge up to 3 days and it becomes more resistant!

[@krishashok]

Yep

[@npdraj]

You are an eye opener. Thank you for all your efforts.

[@krishashok]

Thank you

[@aroshsarkar2988]

I love this man 💗

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@Capsicum_boy]

Wonderful insights on rice. 🙌

[@krishashok]

Thank you

[@nithinnambiar]

It takes me about 15 mins to cook 1 cup of matta rice in a pressure cooker on gas(medium heat).

[@parvathyvnair286]

Loved the content as usual. Any tricks when it comes to cooking brown rice in pressure cooker?

[@jchittoor]

Soak brown rice overnight, cook usually in at least three x water, or 5 x if you want to slow cook in pressure cooker. Once it comes to three whistles, simmer for another 10 min. let the pressure come down naturally. filter out excess water(starch) before forking the rice.

[@prathimarao190]

Very informative. Thanks for your videos. There is a practice in some households to cook rice in an open vessel with more water and then drain that starchy water midway during cooking, then add more water and cook. This removal of starchy water during cooking happens sometimes more than once. What's the impact of such a practice on calories, starch and nutrients pls?

[@krishashok]

It will reduce calories, but you will also lose some micronutrients.

[@s.b.m..688]

So even that strained water which will be a bit thicker,, can be consumed adding some curds and salt onion and coriander.

[@Dynamite3783]

16:47 the key factor is moderation,the loved ones 😂 kidding Excellent video.

[@manojithira9808]

It was very informative. Thank you, sir, for a wanderful vlog

[@sanjivc14]

Question: some people say that cooking rice in a rice cooker is less healthy than boiling it and then throwing away the water (which contains starch). Is this true ?

[@atchutram9894]

Will adding fats like ghee or oil reduce glycemic index of rice? Is it a good idea? Or is it not that simple?

[@krishashok]

Yes, to a small extent. Don't let that be an excuse to add lots of ghee and eat lots of rice though!

[@Nirav_Patel3479]

The note that you read from an ancient Tamil poet, do you think there is a nutritional value in adding ghee to rice? May be some scientific reason that it reduces starch or uplift nutritional value of rice?

[@krishashok]

Fat + carbs reduces glycemic load of carbs. This is why eating a croissant (wheat layered with butter) is better for diabetics than eating regular bread. Of course, always pay attention to overall consumption of fat

[@vaishalikumar32]

@@krishashokI always add one teaspoon of ghee,for easier digestion & lower glycemic load of rice.

[@victorrebello3463]

Very good introduction!

[@neerajwa]

We used to eat only govindo bhog rice since childhood. I didn't know any other type of rice really. Till my teenage, I had only eaten this variety of rice. When I went to college hostel, I was disgusted by the rice served there. Though it was still a good variety of rice, it was not fragrant like Govindo bhog. Now I am grown up and the whiff of govind bhog is sufficient to make me salivate. It is the yummiest rice, even better than long grain basmati.

[@NithyaNiranjan-v5h]

Fantastic content! Let me add a tamilian pride plug 😁 According to available research, it is very probable that Western-language term for rice (compare Italian riso, Latin oryza, Greek oryza is cultural loans from Old Tamil. Greek óruza, Hebrew orez/אורז are derived from South Arabian areez that was ultimately derived from Tamil arici/அரிசி for rice. arici (Tamil)->areez (South Arabian)->orez (Biblical Hebrew)->óruza(Old Greek)->oryza (Latin)->riso (Middle Italian)->ris (Anglo-French)->rice (English)

[@krishashok]

Indeed!

[@nkatyt]

Hello Krish, there is a lot of hype on protein these days.. I literally see farmers in my village who are muscular (as if they went to gym) at the age of 50+... they eat only rice all times of the day (eg. pongal for breakfast, rice with curry and dal for lunch, again rice with curry and curd for dinner)... basically they have a carbohydrate predominant diet.. and they are all muscular, healthy, active.. So my question is, is protein really necessary??? With just carb heavy diet, if you have an active lifestyle, will you remain healthy?

[@Jim_96504]

hey @krishnashok,I remeber reading your book in early 2023,it was great! I enjoyed it a lot Hope you write more!

[@varundhamankar8888]

as a student this is a good source of facts and gk

[@gopinathanchoyi7182]

Rice was being cultivated in India around 9k bc. And had travelled to other parts of the world including china.

[@krishashok]

In general, origin of foods is very hard to establish. THe current academic consensus is that it likely arrived from China around the time you mention. At the same time, it's impossible to rule out that it was indepdendently domesticated in the subcontinent as well. Aside, the concept of India or China is a modern day one. 9000 years ago, these political entities did not exist.

[@jamesbluntjamesblun1]

He's just blinded by religion and politics. When you ask for evidence they start quoting mythology 😂

[@jbvin6]

Excellent 👌. I think you have mentioned the same in your book as well.

[@sheharbanmohammed]

What about matta rice, is not the cooking process longer, amount of water needed also more ? The age old method is keep boiling the rice in lots of water till the rice is cooked, then drain the excess water. Almost a 2 - 3 hour process.

[@krishashok]

What about it? It’s generally good! More bran and thus more nutritious

[@Sv-ry9lj]

As always incredible content ❤ big fan

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@Vijc74]

Annam parabhrahma swaroopam. Elders said this how important it is ! And also precious. Even in Hindu rituals rice is the one given to ancestors, death anniversaries, yagnam etc

[@trucetruly]

❤ I always thought Ponni and Sonamasoori are the same variety grown in different regions in different names. They also look and taste very similar and their names also somewhat means the same? Wheat also is a grass.

[@nightfire9999]

I love your story telling.

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@vaishaligore6818]

Very well articulated.thx food doctor.May I know if rice bhakri and pressure cooked rice have same glucose spikes .

[@krishashok]

Yes. What will change this is typically presence of fat (if the bhakri is cooked with oil/ghee, then it will cause a more gentler spike)

[@vaishaligore6818]

Thankyou . appreciate your efforts to reply back. 🙏

[@TrishulpaniMulay-zv9qi]

Love these lengthy videos of yours❤

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@kundusayan1]

How potato and all 4 other are related... Potato is a modified root/tuber ..of a plant that is dicotyledon in nature. The rest four are monocotyledon plants.

[@krishashok]

Not sure you heard the video right - I said 4 out of 5 most widely grown agricultural crops are grasses. Potato is the exception.

[@shibanimohapatra2169]

love watching your videos!

[@krishashok]

Thank you

[@AtulS.Guitar]

The professor we all should have had in school/college.

[@krishashok]

Hehe

[@allbysharvesh8547]

Sir, what is your book name? I see people mentioned it in the comments....

[@krishashok]

Masala Lab

[@VitaminVS]

micowave? I usually cook rice in uW and its the best.. 10 mins on max W.

[@steveh7866]

Interesting as ever, thank you :)

[@anishmohanrokkala3186]

Love this series ❤💫

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@hemantsantVadodara]

Best part was ending with tamil verse ..ghee till elbow !fat Neutralizes rapid sugar spike ?

[@krishashok]

Yes

[@SrinibasDas-t7g]

Please discuss PALHALA ( ପଖାଳ) i.e. fermented rice ,which has been a staple food in Odisha.

[@kallampraveen]

8:32 i heard that grains must be cooked with an open lid and pulses with closed lid. While cooking grains removing that forth from top is important. Does it have any scientific reasoning behind?

[@raghuharsha]

Now since you mentioned millets, plz do a separate video for millets boom we are seeing now in Andhra and Karnataka....pros and cons and compare with rice...

[@krishashok]

Will do

[@purusridharan]

@krishashok Kindly throw some light on age of the rice, I think people prefer to buy rice at least a year old. Any science behind that?

[@krishashok]

It tastes better

[@ashtee7365]

Thank you so much for curing my paranoia 😂 Could you do one on cage free and free range eggs?

[@panx1061981]

Sir, some people add oil or ghee in water while boiling rice, is it good idea to add fat.

[@krishashok]

No harm

[@ashwinivikram1821]

@krishashok can you please make a video on food combining and its effects on digestion. I mean, is it ok to eat fruits after a grain meal? Is it ok to eat raw and cooked foods together? I have been enjoying your masala labs book on audible. Thanks.

[@krishashok]

You can combine absolutely anything with anything! There are no such rules

[@ashwinivikram1821]

Wow!!

[@gershonodze4703]

Excellent content. Thank you

[@krishashok]

Thank you!

[@FactyYT]

nice that we got to hear from aruna vijay, wonder why she was asking questions from her car

[@krishashok]

Well, does it matter?

[@FactyYT]

@@krishashok are sir mai north se hu toh kya aap gussa karoge

[@krishashok]

@@FactyYT LOL mein kyoon gussa karoonga?

[@gd7714]

So does it reduce bloating due to soaking rice before cooking 🙏

[@krishashok]

That has nothing to do with bloating

[@gd7714]

@@krishashok thank you sir