Why Your Gobindobhog Turns Sticky

And 4 ways to stop it

It's the grain,  not your cooking

Gobindobhog is a short-grain aromatic rice. Short grains hold softer starch than long-grain varieties, so they release more of it into the water and cling. New-crop grain, still carrying field moisture, clings harder than aged grain.

Rinse until the water clears

Loose starch sits on the surface of every grain. Rinse in two or three changes of cool water, moving the rice gently with your fingers, until the water runs almost clear. Stop there - more rinsing does nothing.

Skip the long soak

Long soaking is a basmati habit. A short grain that sits in water for half an hour is already waterlogged before it reaches the pot. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. Aged grain often needs none.

Cut the water

Short grain absorbs less than long grain. Start nearer 1 cup rice to 1½ cups water rather than the 1:2 used for basmati, and adjust once you know your grain. Excess water is the most common cause of a sticky pot.

Don't stir. Rest, then fluff

Stirring while it cooks breaks grains and drags starch out. Leave it alone. When the water is gone, take it off the heat, keep it covered for five to ten minutes, then separate with a fork -never a spoon.

Four fixes handle the cooking. The fifth thing is the grain itself.

Eastern India Rice Mill (EIRM) supplies two-year-aged Gobindobhog to wholesale buyers across India under Double D.P.® and Malik Deenar®.

Enquire about wholesale supply