Rice and pulses

Cooking

The varieties of rice are typically classified as long-, medium-, and short-grained. The grains of long-grain rice (high in amylose) tend to remain intact after cooking; medium-grain rice (high in amylopectin) becomes more sticky. Medium-grain rice is used for sweet dishes, for risotto in Italy, and many rice dishes, such as arròs negre, in Spain. Some varieties of long-grain rice that are high in amylopectin, known as Thai Sticky rice, are usually steamed. A stickier medium-grain rice is used for sushi; the stickiness allows rice to hold its shape when molded. Short-grain rice is often used for rice pudding.

Instant rice differs from parboiled rice in that it is fully cooked and then dried, though there is a significant degradation in taste and texture. Rice flour and starch often are used in batters and breadings to increase crispiness.

Preparation:

Milled to unmilled rice, from left to right, white rice (Japanese rice), rice with germ, brown rice.

A: Rice with chaff

B: Brown rice

C: Rice with germ

D: White rice with bran residue

E: Musenmai (Japanese), "Polished and ready to boil rice", literally, non-wash rice

(1): Chaff

(2): Bran

(3): Bran residue

(4): Cereal germ

(5): Endosperm

Rice is typically rinsed before cooking to remove excess starch. Rice produced in the US is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, and rinsing will result in a loss of nutrients. Rice may be rinsed repeatedly until the rinse water is clear to improve the texture and taste rice.

Rice may be soaked to decrease cooking time, conserve fuel, minimize exposure to high temperature, and reduce stickiness. For some varieties, soaking improves the texture of the cooked rice by increasing expansion of the grains. Rice may be soaked for 30 minutes up to several hours.

Brown rice may be soaked in warm water for 20 hours to stimulate germination. This process, called germinated brown rice (GBR), activates enzymes and enhances amino acids including gamma-aminobutyric acid to improve the nutritional value of brown rice. This method is a result of research carried out for the United Nations International Year of Rice.

Processing:

Rice is cooked by boiling or steaming, and absorbs water during cooking. With the absorption method, rice may be cooked in a volume of water similar to the volume of rice. With the rapid-boil method, rice may be cooked in a large quantity of water which is drained before serving. Rapid-boil preparation is not desirable with enriched rice, as much of the enrichment additives are lost when the water is discarded. Electric rice cookers, popular in Asia and Latin America, simplify the process of cooking rice. Rice (or any other grain) is sometimes quickly fried in oil or fat before boiling (for example saffron rice or risotto); this makes the cooked rice less sticky, and is a cooking style commonly called pilaf in Iran and Afghanistan or biryani (Dam-pukhtak) in India and Pakistan.

Pulses:

The term "pulse", as used by the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry seed. This excludes green beans and green peas, which are considered vegetable crops. Also excluded are crops that are mainly grown for oil extraction (oilseeds like soybeans and peanuts), and crops which are used exclusively for sowing (clovers, alfalfa). However, in common use, these distinctions are not clearly made, and many of the varieties so classified and given below are also used as vegetables, with their beans in pods while young; cooked in whole cuisines; and sold for the purpose; for example, black-eyed beans, lima beans and Toor or pigeon peas are thus eaten as fresh green beans, or cooked as part of a meal.

History:

Archaeologists have discovered traces of pulse production around Ravi River (Punjab), the seat of the Indus Valley civilization, dating circa 3300 BC. Meanwhile, evidence of lentil cultivation has also been found in Egyptian pyramids and dry pea seeds have been discovered in a Swiss village that are believed to date back to the Stone Age. Archaeological evidence suggests that these peas must have been grown in the eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia regions at least 5,000 years ago and in Britain as early as the 11th century.

World economy:

India is the world's largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses. Pakistan, Canada, Burma, Australia and the United States, in that order, are significant exporters and are India's most significant suppliers. Canada now accounts for approximately 35% of global pulse trade each year. The global pulse market is estimated at 60 million tonnes.

Classification:

Depending on the variety, Phaseolus vulgaris (a pulse) may be called "common bean", "kidney bean", "haricot bean", "pinto bean", "navy bean", among other names.

FAO recognizes 11 primary pulses.

• Dry beans (Phaseolus spp. including several species now in Vigna)
• Kidney bean, haricot bean, pinto bean, navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
• Lima bean, butter bean (Phaseolus lunatus)
• Azuki bean, adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)
• Mung bean, golden gram, green gram (Vigna radiata)
• Black gram, urad (Vigna mungo)
• Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
• Ricebean (Vigna umbellata)
• Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)
• Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius)
• Dry broad beans (Vicia faba)
• Horse bean (Vicia faba equina)
• Broad bean (Vicia faba)
• Field bean (Vicia faba)
• Dry peas (Pisum spp.)
• Garden pea (Pisum sativum var. sativum)
• Protein pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense)
• Chickpea, garbanzo, Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum)
• Dry cowpea, black-eyed pea, blackeye bean (Vigna unguiculata)
• Pigeon pea, Arhar /Toor, cajan pea, Congo bean, gandules (Cajanus cajan)
• Lentil (Lens culinaris)
• Bambara groundnut, earth pea (Vigna subterranea)
• Vetch, common vetch (Vicia sativa)
• Lupins (Lupinus spp.)

Minor pulses, including:

• Lablab, hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
• Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), sword bean (Canavalia gladiata)
• Winged bean (Psophocarpus teragonolobus)
• Velvet bean, cowitch (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis)
• Yam bean (Pachyrrizus erosus)
  

Nutrients:

Pulses provide protein, complex carbohydrates, and several vitamins and minerals. Like other plant-based foods, they contain no cholesterol and little fat or sodium. Pulses also provide iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and other minerals, which play a variety of roles in maintaining good health.

Pulses are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of rice. While pulses are generally high in protein, and the digestibility of that protein is also high, they are often relatively poor in methionine, an essential amino acid. Grains (which are themselves deficient in lysine) are commonly consumed along with pulses to form a complete diet of protein. Indian cuisine also includes sesame seeds, which contain high levels of methionine.

Health:

There is evidence that a portion of pulses (roughly one cup daily) in a diet may help lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol levels, though there is concern with the quality of the supporting data.