From:
The Thorough Good Cook
Curries: 7. How to Prepare Rice for Curry
Wash your
rice, so as to have it thoroughly
clean, and then cover it to
excess with either cold or boiling water, and place upon a brisk fire, either covered or uncovered. The main point to be considered is, neither to under nor to over-do the boiling. Test the rice now and again by pressing a grain or two between the
finger and
thumb. As soon as the "
bone in it" disappears, and neither sooner nor later, pour in a quart of cold water, and strain or pour off what the Hindoos call the "cunjee water," which can be used for making a meager soup. Then place the rice in a
colander in the
oven for a few minutes, or drive off the
superfluous moisture by placing the pan, shaken occasionally, on the fire for a short time; your rice will now, be in free separate grains. To whiten it, a squeeze of
lemon or a pinch of
alum added during the boiling stage will suffice. Always use the thick broad-grained rice for boiling. The slender-grained varieties are the best for
puddings and sweets.