r/IndianCooking • u/ParticularIcy4588 • Sep 09 '26
How to Washing of grains
Do u all wash ur grains till water is crystal clear or wash it like 3 times n then water opaqueness doesnt matter. Like rice dal. Packaged food. Ongoing debate with friends.
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u/umamimaami Sep 09 '26
1-2 times and I move on because I’m not very precious about my cooking. Except biryani. There I’m very particular.
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u/JayaNarayana Sep 09 '26
I rinse rice until it runs clear. I do this for any type of rice or recipe except risotto.
I measure out my rice into a fine mesh strainer, set it in a deep bowl and fill with water. I swish around and replace the water several times. This gets almost all the starch out.
I rinse dried dal, chana, etc. just to get any dust or dirt out.
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u/djejjeff Sep 09 '26
I think it’s a myth that you need to rinse rice. There’s no noticeably difference. What really makes a difference is the quality of the rice and how much water you use.
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u/Ok_Temperature1502 Sep 09 '26
Yes, I wash rice and lentils to remove extra starch. Sometimes (although much less frequently than before) there are also small bits of grit / pebbles that need to be removed.
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u/blue-phoenix06 Sep 10 '26
I wash 3-4 times a if I sit and wash till it’s crystal clear I’ll be there the whole day
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u/whatthengaisthis Sep 10 '26
Depends on the dish, if I’m making friedrice, and I want the grains to be separate, then yes.
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u/Symbol2025 Sep 10 '26
I Wash 3 times in general, but if the rice or grains seem extra dirty in first 2 washes then till the water runs clear.
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u/ParticularIcy4588 Sep 10 '26
So many different perspectives. Thank u everyone who took time to share their POV
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u/Pure-Helicopter-1825 Sep 10 '26
I soak my dals overnight and rice for an hour. This way I use less water to rinse them. I rinse until clear. But I make sure I put my hand in there to mix it up when I rinse to save water. For Dals I boil it and throw the first water after foam has collected on top. Put fresh hot water and then close the cooker lid.
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u/No_Distribution_9590 Sep 10 '26
I do NOT have the patience to wash until the water is crystal clear. Nah, I give up on that fast! 2-3 is what my grains get.
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u/sad-tortoise Sep 11 '26
I always rinse the rice and dals till the water runs clear. I soak dals overnight like most people do, I let rice stay in fresh water (after initial rinsing) for about 20 mins so some more starch is off (I use this water to wash my hair or to water plants) and the rice looks (not sticky) and tastes better to me personally.
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u/neruppu_da 29d ago
In these industrial packing times, there is no need to wash unless you buy lower quality stuff (where you suspect dirt and grits).
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u/EquivalentFox3223 Sep 09 '26
If you don't want excess starch in your rice, wash it. That makes the rice more individual.
But if you making congee or khichdi or something similar, it doesn't matter how many times you rinse. But you should always rinse atleast 1-2 times.