Three seers of watef are required for one seer of rice. Heat water in a pan and when it begins to boil pour the rice, washed clean, in it and close the lid. After a few minutes when the boiling water becomes practically unmanageable it is necessary to let the surplus steam escape from the pan either by removing the lid entirely or by pushing it to one side. After about fifteen minutes pick a few grains with à spoon and feel if they are soft and well-boiled. When they are so, take the pan down from the oven and remove the excess whitish starchy water either by placing the pan upside down upon the lid or by tilting it on one side and carefully ' decanting the water out keeping the rice within. It should then be re-heated for a very short time to dry up the sticking moisture. Washing the boiled rice on a seive with water to render the individual grains separate and non-sticky, as is often the practice with the Europeans, is not proper. It appreciably spoils the taste and food-value of the rice.
It is the practice with the Bengalis to drain off the excegs starchy water from the- boiled rice but it will certainly be a better practice to take the rice along with the starchy water, as it is rich with nourishing compounds, even though the taste differs a little.
We may note here that the vitamin contents in rice reside entirely on the bright brownish skin of the grains. This skin is entirely removed to give a whitish look to the grains when the paddy is husked in the rice mills. But it is not so 'when the paddy is husked in an indigenous implement called "Dhenki". Therefore rice husked in Dhenkis are superior in quality to those husked in mills.: But nowadays it is very difficult to find any rice husked in Dhenkis in the market. On the other hand Atap Rice are richer in vitamin contents than Siddha Rice as they are neither boiled before nor the skins are removed.
Atap rice and specially those husked from the new corn in the early months of winter are very tasteful and possess a characteristic flavour. They are, of course, not so easily digested as the old rice, and cannot, therefore, be recommened for patients and those of ill health in general.
In this case two seers of water are required for every seer of rice. The procedure is the same as in the case of the Siddha Rice. These rice are more apt to get overtoiled at the least delay than the "Siddha" quality. The,' excess water may be removed but it is better not to remove, it. To avoid the rice becoming pasty, the minimum amount of water should be taken which will be enough for boiling them properly and yet not in excess to be removed. If in the middle of the preparation the water runs short a little more water should be added to prevent the nee from being scorched. With a little care, arid practice, however, this becomes quite easy.- Slow «heat should be used in this method.