Minute Rice is a type of instant rice that’s starchy, light, and irresistibly fluffy. What’s more, it’s your best friend when it comes to preparing a quick-and-easy dinner, and you don’t have to worry about it turning sticky or turning mushy. Ready in no more than five minutes, it’s a lifesaver for skipping hours of making basic steamed brown rice or figuring out how to cook rice in your microwave.
But have you ever wondered why it’s ready in minutes while traditional rice takes so much longer? After all, aren’t they both the same grain? Well, to start with, all instant rice is parboiled, meaning it’s already been cooked to some extent and then dried before making its way into the box. Meanwhile, with Minute Rice, food engineers take it a step further by puffing it. This process involves heating it through extrusion, thus creating micro-fissures (or tiny cracks, if you will) in the grains. Ultimately, this makes it easier for water to penetrate through them.
This step is the reason why the prep time for Minute Rice is so short, as suggested by a 2024 study published in the journal Food Chemistry Advances. With its starches partially processed, all that’s left to do is rehydrate it in hot water back at home and then just serve it alongside your favorite veggies and protein. So what’s the best way to cook it?
You can still get creative with Minute Rice
In case you didn’t know, Minute Rice has been around for nearly a century. It was introduced to the world when Afghan inventor Ataullah K. Ozai-Durrani figured out how to precook and rehydrate regular rice. He became a millionaire after he sold his innovative solution to General Foods. So, just to be clear, Minute Rice was designed to save you some precious time in the kitchen, not to blow you away with its flavor. Still, that doesn’t mean that you can’t spice it up and give it a chance to actually taste like something other than just … bland.
Regardless of whether you use the stovetop or microwave, swapping water for chicken or vegetable broth and adding some chopped garlic can greatly enhance the flavor of your Minute Rice. Then, stir in some teriyaki sauce — which you can make with just two ingredients — to give it an extra umami boost. And if you’re out of broth, just dissolve a bouillon cube in boiling water and let the rice soak it up.
However, if you’re in the mood to experiment, Thai recipes suggest going for coconut milk, or perhaps coconut water for a lighter, less creamy take. And while we’re here, make sure not to hold back on the spices. A little bit of curry, ginger, cumin, or cilantro will go a long way and bring out the coconut’s rich nutty notes. Then simply just plate it up and enjoy!
