Substitute for long-grain rice?

[ratsrcute]

I have a recipe for "Indian Pilaf" in the "New elegant but easy cookbook" and it mentions using "long-grain rice". I'm supposed to stick to wild rice and brown rice... is it okay to substitute one or both of these? The recipe suggests cooking the rice for 17 minutes, but presumably it will take more like 45 minutes to cook brown rice. How long does wild rice take?

It has indian spices, peppers, currants, sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and chicken (they suggest leftover chicken).

Mike

 

[Andy M.]

The add-ins will give a good flavor to any rice. The brown rice will work with the longer cooking time.

 

[auntdot]

Brown rice is just rice that has not had the bran layer removed. It could I suppose be used as a substitute for the long grain rice, but as has been mentioned might take a bit longer to cook.

Wild rice is a grass. It is a fantastic product that comes from the Great Lakes region.

I love to cook with it.

Despite its name it is not a simple substitute for, well, rice.

If long grain rice you shun, would substitute brown rice, not the wild stuff.

But don't, please, forget about wild rice. It is a great product. I often use it. It makes an outrageous stuffing for quail when mixed with Mandarin orange slices. It adds such a lovely taste to birds.

But if you are folowing a recipe that says rice, I would use rice.

Am thinking about a mixture of wild rice and the McCoy, maybe with some crushed walnuts and a bit of citrus. As a bed for some game bird perhaps.

Sigh, too few meals and too little time.

 

[ratsrcute]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping.

 

[Aurora]

I would suspect that the recipe calls for long grain rice because it contains less free starch than short or medium grain rice. This will influence the texture of the dish. Brown rice cooks in about 45 to 50 minutes. If you have some concern about the rice needing to be cooked longer than the other ingredients you can always start the rice and cook it for 25 to 35 minutes before adding the other ingredients. I think that the nutty flavor of brown rice will add to the other flavors of your dish. By using brown and wild rice you could well have come up with an even beter and unique dish.

Please post your results and let us know how it tastes and turns out.

 

[radhuni]

Long grain rice are generally basmoti rices, it has a especial odour, which make the pilaf tasteful you can't get it in brown rice.

 

[Claire]

To me basmati or jasmine rice has a completely different flavor. Brown rice takes quite a bit more time to cook, has a "chewier" texture. I never knew these things before I married a man who loves rice! My dad claims to hate rice, but whenever we get together ..... he wants sushi. Go figure! Anyway, if you cannot keep several types of rice around the house, buy the one you like best and use it for everything. I have CalRose, either Basmati or Jasmine, and in the summer, Uncle Bens (it is best for salads). My husband loves rice.

 

[LMJ]

radhuni-

In a lot of the west, the most common rice is a long grain white rice, often exported from Mexico or China. I love basmati and wish it were more common here.

ratsrcute-

You've got some good advice there. White rice is just brown rice that has been milled of its bran hull. That takes away nutrients, but means a softer texture, milder taste and longer shelf life. People can have a preference for one of the other, and both have their uses.

Basmati, Jasmine and any other scented rices are very different animals that are typically used in pilafs and other strongly seasoned dishes. Magnificent things.

Wild rice is an entirely different animal. And a bit expensive. But absolutely lovely.

Long, medium and short grain rice, with no other characteristics noted, vary by their shape and their starch content. Long grain is your typical rice you'll find in a bowl at the chinese restaurant. Very good all-purpose, but you wouldn't try and make a risotto with it.

As for a real substitution, I don't know why your requirements are what they are, unless you've got a vitamin deficciency that rice bran helps out.

Long-grain brown rice is the most direct substitute given your requirements, but here's a possible alternative: parboiled rice. It's been partially cooked before being hulled and polished. It has the flavor and texture of white rice, but has soaked up a good bit of the nutrients from the bran hull. If your requirement came under a doctor's advice, consult him/her first, but it might be an option because it's a nearly straight swap between that and long-grain white rice for flavor and texture, except it cooks a little bit faster.