Puffed rice is made from cooked rice which is then dried and fried to form puffed, crispy grains. You can eat it as a breakfast cereal to use it to make snacks like granola bars.
You can use all different kinds of rice to make puffed rice. White, basmati and Jasmine varieties typically produce the best results, but you can also use red, black, or brown (gluten-free).
There are two ways to cook it. The first involves frying uncooked rice at a high temperature, while the second requires boiling or steaming it first, then drying it in the oven or sun frying as per the first method.
We’ll show you how to cook this delicious, light snack and make it savory, sweet or colored.
How To Make Plain Puffed Rice
As mentioned above, there are two ways to cook puffed rice. We’ll start with the longer method, which produces fluffier results.
1. Cook, dry and fry
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup white rice
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions:
- Wash the rice until the water drains clear. Boil the water and pinch of salt on the stove. Lower the heat and add the rice, then simmer. Cover and remove from the heat when the water has been absorbed (don’t let it burn).
- Evenly spread the rice on a parchment paper substitute on a baking tray. Place the baking tray in the oven at 250°F for two hours to dry out the rice. When ready, it should be a little hard and dry. Alternatively, place the baking tray in the sun for a day.
- Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan until very hot. Test the oil temperature with a few grains of rice. If they puff up quickly, the oil is hot enough. Add the remaining rice and cook for about ten seconds until it puffs and changes to a golden brown color. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
- Spread the puffed rice onto two sheets of kitchen paper to remove excess oil and cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to seven days.
Yield: 3 cups
2. Fry only
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white rice
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions:
- Fry the uncooked rice grains by following steps 3 — 5 as above. The grains of rice will split open and increase in size.
Yield: 3 cups
5 Puffed Rice Flavoring Ideas
1. Spicy puffed rice (murmura chivda): A popular snack in India, it mixes dried spices such as mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili powder and cumin with fresh green chilies and curry leaves, roasted peanuts and cashew nuts.
2. Cinnamon puffed rice: Combine two teaspoons of ginger with two tablespoons of ground cinnamon and a third of a cup of maple syrup. Mix with brown puffed rice and bake at 350°F for ten minutes, or until golden brown. To eat it as a breakfast cereal, add rolled oats, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and serve with milk, fruit and yogurt.
3. Caramemlised puffed rice: Add brown sugar to melted butter and simmer on medium heat. Mix with puffed rice and allow to cool. This version can be eaten as a snack, similar to popcorn.
4. Salty rice puffs: Follow the cook, dry, and fry method and mix a tablespoon of salt with the rice before drying and frying it. Eat as a snack.
5. Colored puffed rice: Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegan butter over medium heat, add two cups of vegan marshmallows, and then stir until melted. Mix in two cups of puffed rice, add natural food coloring of your choice and continue stirring. Spread into a greased baking tray, allow to set, and cut into squares for a sticky puffed rice treat.
Puffed Rice Dishes
You can use puffed rice in many sweet dishes, such as peanut butter and chocolate puffed rice treats or Filippino “ampaw,” chocolate rice puffs which are balls of sweet puffed rice made with corn syrup, brown sugar and butter. You can even make it into a porridge for babies and toddlers.
Puffed rice also serves as a topping for salads, chopped fruit salads and yogurt. You can also use it to make healthy granola bars or no-bake granola balls combined with oats and other nuts and seeds.
Read more:
- What to Do With Leftover Rice: 3 Simple Recipes
- Rice Water Rinse: Benefits and How to Make it
- Black Rice Pudding: Homemade & Vegan Recipe
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