Evaluation of cooking and physico-chemical properties of rice

A study was undertaken to compare cooking properties, physico-chemical parameters and sensory quality attributes of white rice, brown rice, quick cooking white rice and quick cooking brown rice. Freshly harvested paddy of Prativa variety was milled in rubber roll sheller and polished in laboratory polisher to get brown rice and white rice. Quick cooking white rice and brown rice were prepared by pressure cooking followed by refrigerated storage at 4^oC for 24 h and drying at 90^oC. The decrease in cooking time of quick cooking brown rice (9.66 min) and quick cooking white rice as compared to brown rice (25.66 min) and white rice respectively was due to gelatinization of starch during cooking and development of cracks and porous structure during drying. Higher water uptake ratio and volumetric expansion ratio with lower solid loss were observed in quick cooking white rice and quick cooking brown rice as compared to corresponding white rice and brown rice sample. The minimum peak viscosity of quick cooking brown rice was less (726cP) which was followed by quick cooking white rice respectively. The bio-chemical parameters of quick cooking brown rice were found to be more than quick cooking white rice.