A Unique Child: Nutrition - How to make the most of ... Rice

Children can regard rice as a rather exotic treat, and a change from potatoes! It can certainly be part of some delicious and very useful Mediterranean, oriental, Caribbean and Middle Eastern dishes. In addition, powdered brown rice flakes can make a nutritious early weaning food, and ground rice can be used instead of flour for thickening and added texture.

WHITE RICE OR BROWN?

The two chief nutritional benefits of rice are its B vitamins and fibre, but only brown rice ('whole' grains with the outer layer still intact) has these to any extent. White rice, like white bread, is a rapid source of calories, but the low fibre content can cause constipation. However, brown rice takes longer to chew (white needs almost no chewing at all) and, being bulkier, is filling without supplying many calories; thus a calorie-rich food needs serving at the same time.

Again as with bread, it's a good idea to serve both brown and white. Whole grain foods can be new to some children, so serving them widens horizons and helps foster healthy food choices.

To prevent children rejecting the non-pure white colour of brown rice, mix it with other food and/or spices such as paprika, turmeric, cinnamon or nutmeg. To retain the B vitamins, brown rice should not be rinsed after cooking.

As for cooking times, white rice is done in ten minutes, but it takes time to boil up so much water, and the rice must be washed well and, when cooked, drained. Brown rice takes up to half an hour to cook, but the method is near-foolproof, the grains don't stick together, and little washing and no draining are needed. Adding a bay leaf to rice adds flavour.

For 30 to 40 children, allow up to 1kg of white rice and 900g of brown.

BOILING

- To boil white rice

Sprinkle well-washed rice into a large pan of fast-boiling water, allowing 600ml (a pint) for every 30g (1 oz) of rice so there's enough water for the rice to move around.

While the water is coming back to the boil, stir the rice to keep it moving, then boil rapidly for 12 minutes, uncovered. Drain immediately the rice is done, and if possible, serve at once. Otherwise, keep it warm briefly in a low oven, lightly covered.

- To boil brown rice

Rinse the rice in a sieve under the cold tap, then drain well. Measure the amount of cooking water by volume: small amounts of rice need two-and-a-half times as much water as rice. For larger amounts, use less water: 220g rice needs about 600ml of water; for 900g (2lb) rice, the basic ILEA recipe used 2.42 litres (4 1/2 pints) for oven cooking.

Tip the rice into fast-boiling water. Skim the bubbles with a large spoon a few times, then cover tightly and cook over very low heat. Round, shortgrain or 'pudding' rice needs 25 minutes. Regular longgrain rice needs 30 minutes, and very thin grains such as Basmati need 15-20 minutes. Do not stir.

When cooked, the rice should have absorbed all the water. It can sit for a short time in the pan, covered, until served.

RICE IDEAS

- Add cooked rice to soups and stews

- Make a golden kedgeree with turmeric, salmon/tuna, peas and sweetcorn

- Make Italian risi e bisi (rice, peas, bacon bits, risotto rice and cheese)

- Make West Indian 'rice and peas' (rice, kidney beans, coconut milk, thyme, onion and garlic)

- Make Middle Eastern megadarra (lentils, rice, lots of fried onion)

- Make nursery 'Suleiman's pilaff': combine cooked rice, pieces of roast lamb and its juices, sultanas and cooked apricots; heat together, then stir in sour cream

RECIPES

GREEK CINNAMON RICE

This baked rice dish is especially delicious. Serve with lamb, tomato sauce, peas and perhaps roast potatoes. Enough for 15 to 20 children.

Ingredients

3 teacups white rice, 6 teacups hot water, 1 large onion, chopped, 2 tbsp currants, 50g butter, 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tsp cinnamon, pinch black pepper

Method

Fry the onion in the oil in a heavy pan until soft and lightly coloured. Add the butter, cinnamon, pepper and rice and stir over low heat for two minutes. Add the water and bring to the boil. Boil steadily for about eight minutes until the water has almost disappeared and small suction holes appear on the surface.

Tip into a greased casserole dish, cover, and cook for 30 minutes at moderate heat. Meanwhile, soak the currants in hot water to plump up, then stir into the rice.

PINK PAPRIKA RICE SALAD

Serve with a tomato salad, a green salad and a little ham, tongue or sliced sausage. Perhaps lightly saute or steam the pepper strips to soften them.

Ingredients

400g rice, 2 red and 2 orange peppers, diced, 1 bunch spring onions including green parts, sliced, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp soaked currants, 2 tbsp olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice, pinch black pepper

Method

Cook rice, white or brown, as above and immediately toss in the oil, lemon juice, paprika and pepper. Cool quickly, then add the other ingredients. Perhaps sprinkle with sieved paprika.

GOLDEN SPANISH PAELLA

Quantities are variable, but make sure there's twice as much stock as white rice. Gently soften finely chopped onion/spring onion in olive oil. Add a little turmeric, stir for one minute, then add thinly sliced red and yellow peppers, lots of tomatoes and cleaned, sliced squid and/or small strips of chicken. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the rice and stock and cook 10 minutes more.

NOTE: BACILLUS CEREUS

This bacteria can cause food poisoning if rice has been left at room temperature or kept warm for too long. To be safe, either serve rice soon after it's cooked or cool it and chill within an hour for eating cold the same day. Avoid reheating rice at nursery and throw away any leftovers.