Washing

In most Asian countries, we wash rice several times before cooking. All that’s necessary is to put it in the pan, pour on enough cold water to cover it, swirl it around with your fingers, and pour it away, seeing that the water takes with it any bits of husk or discoloured grains that have not been taken out by the miller. (Packeted rice in supermarkets is rigorously screened before it reaches you, so you won’t find much.) You can repeat this process once or twice if you wish. The last time, pour away as much of the water as you easily can – there is no need to drain off every last drop.