Whole grain rice

About

Whole grain rice includes red, black, and brown varieties, meaning the grain has had its husk removed but has not been milled or polished, leaving the bran layer and germ intact. This makes the rice more nutritious but also shorter-lived, since the oil-rich germ is more prone to spoiling. The bran layer adds chewiness and a heavy, sweet, coarsely nutty flavor, making brown rice quite different from soft, soothing white rice, while red and black rice tend to taste fruitier, with a hint of floral flavor.

Pairs well with whole grain rice

• SuEggParboiled long-grain brown rice keeps its grains separate as it cooks, which suits Thai-style fried rice with garlic, mushrooms and a…
• EaMushroomBrown rice doesn't release enough starch to make a creamy mushroom risotto, which relies on white arborio rice instead.
• ChCheeseRed rice, a Bhutanese staple, traditionally accompanies the national dish ema datshi, made from chilies and yak's cheese; it's also paired…
• GrAvocadoStandard sushi rolls use white rice because brown rice lacks its soft texture and mild sweetness, though the partially milled haiga mai…
• RoSesameJapanese brown-rice mochi is made by heavily pounding cooked glutinous rice into a dough, usually sold vacuum-packed and then sliced,…
• BrMisoGenmai miso is made like standard miso but with brown rice in place of white, giving it a deep, mellow flavor along with some of brown…
• CrRaisinSmall, mild Zante currants can substitute for barberries in pilaf, being similarly sized and less sweet than raisins.
• EaChickpeaRiso e ceci, a Piedmontese dish of rice and chickpeas seasoned with spiced tomato sauce, is rustic mountain fare that tastes bland without…
• EaLentilLentils and rice combine in dishes such as kitchuri, the Indian rice-and-moong-dal mix, and mujadarra, the Arabic lentil-and-rice dish…
• RoMaple syrupTrue wild rice, the grain of an aquatic grass unrelated to rice, is mostly cultivated today rather than hand-harvested by canoe as it…
• MaSeaweedFurikake, the Japanese rice seasoning blend, almost always contains dried seaweed such as wakame, nori or hijiki, sometimes alongside…
• WoCashewBrown rice doesn't work well for risotto, which needs a starchier grain, but brown basmati makes an excellent pilaf: its popcorn-like…
• EaFava beanPersian cooking pairs fresh fava beans with rice in baghali polo (cooked, skinned fava beans, rice, fried onion and dill) and dried, split…
• GrSpinachTurta verde, from Italy's Piedmont region, bakes chopped spinach, onion, cooked rice, egg, nutmeg and Parmesan into a cake cut into…
• GrSorrelBrown rice with sorrel pesto, cooked medium-grain brown rice mixed with dill and preserved lemon, tossed with a pesto of sorrel, kale,…