Should I wash rice before cooking?

As a rule wash the rice milled in India and don't wash the rice milled in USA

Rice Processed in USA

During milling and polishing, most of the nutrients are lost. Therefore, almost all the rice processed in United States is fortified with Vitamins, and minerals (Including iron). When you open the package, you see this fortification in the form of a powdery substance. If you wash the rice, you will be washing away the added nutrients.

You may still want to pre-soak rice in a limited amount of water to increase heat conductivity of the grain to reduce cooking time. For this purpose, use ¾ cups of plain water for each cup of rice.

Rice Imported from India

The rice imported from India is not fortified with any nutrients. The powdery stuff you see is the starchy residue after milling and polishing. You should wash and rinse this rice. The starchy residue will make the rice to stick together, and even cause boil over. You should wash and rinse about three times before cooking to get rid of the residue. After washing, the rice should be presoaked to increase thermal conductivity. Use 1½ cups of plain water for each cup of raw rice.

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