Bash Ful

bash ful This is the name under which a good parboiled Bangladeshi rice is being sold in the United States. Bash ful is a medium-grain rice, beige-cream in color, and not completely polished. Some of the translucent grains have an opaque white dot; many still have some small flecks of red bran attached. Probably because of the bits of bran, when the rice is cooked in plenty of boiling water, the water foams pink. Because the rice is parboiled, it takes a little longer to cook than regular polished rice, but holds its shape well during cooking. When cooked, bash ful has separate grains (like most parboiled rices) that are soft and tender. Available from Kalustyan’s in New York City (see Mail-Order Sources) and sometimes at other specialty stores.