BROWN RICE

“One should eat to live, not live to eat.” - Cicero

Brown rice is something that is gaining in popularity and it is now a standard option in many restaurants, sushi bars and of course on supermarket shelves. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, more healthful and has a nutty flavor and chewier texture than white rice. Brown rice (sometimes called “unpolished rice”) is like normal white rice with the coating of high-fibre bran still over the grans. It is this coating of bran on it that makes brown rice a much more healthful version of normal rice, and it also contains generous amounts of vitamins and fibre in it. However, knowing how to cook brown rice is important as there differences from the normal method of cooking white rice. This is because the extra coating of bran on brown rice makes the cooking time of brown rice much more than that of normal rice.

To cook brown rice on the stove top, rinse it well in a strainer under cold running water for a 20-30 seconds. Swirl the rice around to allow the contaminants to flow away. Now bring the water to boil in a large pan or a pot. Once the water has started boiling, add the brown rice and stir it once. Add salt to taste at this stage. Now for thirty minutes, turn the heat to medium and let the rice simmer along. Stir it occasionally. Once the rice is cooked (try a few grains), pour the rice into the strainer over the sink. Let the excess water drain off for around ten seconds. Return the rice to the pot and heat very gently while covering the pot with a tight fitting lid. Allow the rice to steam up for around ten minutes, occasionally taking the pot off the fire and shaking a little. Uncover it and season it with some butter or a little olive oil.

Brown rice has a number of health benefits like reducing the chance of developing arterial diseases, helping avoid abrupt spikes in blood sugar levels, aiding in digestion while reducing constipation. It is also known to help reduce the overall incidence of heart disease.

Diet Fried Brown Rice
Ingredients

2 cups of cooked brown rice
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
Soy sauce to taste
Water as needed
(you may add or substitute any other vegetables in addition to those listed above)

Method
Over a wok heated to medium-high heat, add 1 tsp oil and when hot, cook the egg into an omelette. Remove the omelet, add the remaining oil and cook the carrot, celery and onion. Stir fry over high heat adding a little water until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the peas and corn, stirring to heat thoroughly. Add the chopped omelette and stir. Finally, add the rice and soy sauce and stir to mix well. Serve immediately.