Rice is one of the three primary global grains (after wheat and corn). This top trio often pushes out other whole grains (much to my dismay), which is why you’ll rarely find rice in my recipes or advice. Subjectively, it feels “empty” to me. I prefer functional and nutrient-dense food. But there’s room for everything!
Unpolished rice is a whole grain with all its layers, fibrous shells, and the germ (the endosperm, which will sprout if you soak the grain). White rice, on the other hand, is stripped of the germ and fiber. The main “goodness” of rice, its nutrients, lies there. Once polished, all that’s left is a simple carbohydrate – pure starches with no nutritional value. To answer the most common question right away – “But what about nations where rice has always been a staple?” – these nations are doing just fine. Overeating white rice is a trend of the past 100 years. Before that, rice in their diets was mostly unpolished, and they always ate plenty of vegetables, including fermented ones, legumes, and seaweed-greens.
Getting to the point, rice has limited mineral content as it is, so here’s the % of daily value per 100 g:
- Thiamine: 15% unpolished, 14% white
- Niacin: 16% unpolished, 9% white
- B6: 7% unpolished, 5% white
- Magnesium: 9% unpolished, 3% white
- Phosphorus: 8% unpolished, 3% white
- Iron: 7% unpolished, 3% white
- Zinc: 6% unpolished, 4% white
Not much.
And fiber – that’s only in whole, unpolished rice. That’s the kind of rice we prepare for autumn.
- 1.5 cups unpolished rice
- 4-8 pods of green cardamom
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. of cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. of turmeric powder
- pistachio oil
The oil can be replaced with another aromatic, unrefined, cold-pressed nut oil. Remember that nut oils should not be heated – we don’t fry with them, only use them as dressings for prepared dishes.
Rinse the rice and cover it with fresh water so it’s 0.5 cm above the surface of the rice. Place it on the stove. Add turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Once the water disappears from the surface of the rice (gently move it with a spoon to check – it should be mostly absorbed with just a minimal amount left at the bottom), turn off the heat, dress the rice with oil, stir it, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 15 minutes.
The oil can be replaced with another aromatic, unrefined, cold-pressed nut oil. Remember that nut oils should not be heated – we don’t fry with them, only use them as dressings for prepared dishes.
Rinse the rice and cover it with fresh water so it’s 0.5 cm above the surface of the rice. Place it on the stove. Add turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Once the water disappears from the surface of the rice (gently move it with a spoon to check – it should be mostly absorbed with just a minimal amount left at the bottom), turn off the heat, dress the rice with oil, stir it, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 15 minutes.
