Hey, all you Rice Lovers out there… This one is especially for you.
When it comes to choosing rice, the long thin Basmati is a hot favourite. But do you all know that Basmati is actually a highly processed rice which is poor in B- complex vitamins particularly in Thiamine. What do we mean by polishing or processing of rice? Rice with its husk is called paddy. During processing or polishing, paddy is either ground in machines or pounded by hands to remove the outer husk. After this, the grain is further cleaned to give it a white, polished appearance. Removal of husk and polishing both cause heavy losses of Thiamine ie Vitamin B1 as well as some of the other B Vitamins.

Rice is also available in another form called PARBOILED RICE. Popularly known as the SELA RICE. This Parboiled rice is prepared by soaking raw rice in water for 2-3 days. It is then boiled or steamed and then dried. During this process, most of the nutrients present in the outer layers of the grain move to the interior. Thus Thiamine and other Vitamins are not lost when the outer layers of rice are removed during subsequent processing.
So all you rice lovers out there if you crave to eat rice, go for Parboiled rice or the SELA variety. However, restrict it only to 2-3 times a week. Get only one handful of Parboiled rice made for yourself. Do not overeat it because even though it is nutritious, we still must make a conscious effort to avoid excessive calories.