[HN Gopher] Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)
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Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)
Author : brudgers
Score : 189 points
Date : 2022-12-19 17:22 UTC (5 hours ago)
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(TXT) w3m dump (www.treehugger.com)
| klyrs wrote:
| Popped amaranth is my favorite. It's incredibly tiny, and fun to
| imagine being a giant eating popcorn. I like to serve it
| alongside saucy fish, as kind of a "dry dip". Unlike the grains
| mentioned in the article, it actually pops -- it's fast and easy
| in a heavy bottomed pot, just like popcorn, but way faster
| because the grains are so small.
| GloriousKoji wrote:
| What's the secret to this? I always end up a mix of popped, un-
| popped and burnt amaranth. I've tried a variety of different
| techniques and none of them seem to work well for me.
| klyrs wrote:
| Never let the grains stop moving? And, it's delicate; burning
| is a definite risk. I do tend to make several small batches,
| about a third of a cup at a time.
|
| Come to think of it, I've never tried to make it in a
| microwave. Might be worth trying
| gs17 wrote:
| I tried similar with sorghum in the microwave and ended up
| horribly burning it. I think it's too delicate a process
| with non-popcorn/rice grains, keeping it moving would have
| averted disaster for me, but I can't do that easily with a
| microwave.
| newhotelowner wrote:
| Sorghum (Jowar) popcorn is really good and healthy (Gluten free).
|
| Amaranth (Rajgira) popcorn is really good too but hard to make it
| home. It buns really fast after popping.
|
| If you don't wanna do it yourself, both are available at all the
| Indian grocery stores.
| drewzero1 wrote:
| I've done this with quinoa and it's pretty good if you can avoid
| burning it. The little popped grains look like adorable mini-
| popcorns.
|
| I've also had pumpkin seeds pop when toasting them in the oven.
| They don't get the 'popped' look but it's a good indicator that
| they're done.
| jihadjihad wrote:
| Slightly OT, but one lesson I learned a while ago is that whole
| grains lend themselves well to similar cooking techniques. For
| example, I had first learned that farro tastes best if you toast
| it in the pan before adding water/stock--similar to couscous or
| quinoa.
|
| What I didn't notice until later on is that you can do the same
| with oats! I now toast steel-cut oats in butter and then cook
| them like usual. Had never made the connection before that it's
| the same thing you do with farro, just a different grain.
| gnufied wrote:
| This reminds me of my childhood in India where my grandma and mom
| will "fry" everything whole and it used to be delicious. Little
| but chopped onion, cilantro and lemon makes it even yummier.
|
| I said fried for lack of better word but the way it gets done is
| - just stir and toss them with hot sand in a wide mouth clay pot.
| When it is done, just use a sieve to separate sand and the grain.
|
| It is pretty wholesome snack. Cooked wheat, corn, rice,
| chickpeas. U name it.
| apnew wrote:
| I am assuming, you are talking about something like this
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokO6XqJvAE. If so, it's not
| sand, it's salt.
| gnufied wrote:
| I am pretty sure it used to be sand. Comments on same youtube
| video:
|
| > Sand is also used in a similar process, but only for
| roasting groundnuts/peanuts, which can be cleaned easily
| afterward.
| JoeAltmaier wrote:
| I read where that is the world's oldest cooking technique!
| MisterBastahrd wrote:
| I think most Americans are familiar with Sugar / Honey Smacks.
| These are created by placing wheat in a high pressure vessel and
| cooking the grain under pressure before suddenly releasing the
| pressure. The result is that the grain becomes "puffed" by
| expanding in size.
|
| In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains into an
| iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a similar
| pressure situation. When they release the pressure, there is an
| audible boom and the results is puffed grains.
| turnsout wrote:
| I wonder if you could do the same in an Instant Pot... I just
| tried the stovetop technique with wheat berries (hard white),
| and they just expanded very slightly. But unlike a raw wheat
| berry, they tasted okay!
| MisterBastahrd wrote:
| To do the same thing on an instant pot, you'd have to remove
| the entire lid all at once. It's the explosive decompression
| which fluffs up the grains. For this reason, the asian
| merchants usually open the devices into a bag made of sturdy
| material.
| turnsout wrote:
| Gotcha--so probably not going to end up in the official
| Instant Pot cookbook. Ha
| jonahx wrote:
| > In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains
| into an iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a
| similar pressure situation. When they release the pressure,
| there is an audible boom and the results is puffed grains.
|
| Video time-stamped before the boom:
|
| https://youtu.be/ZyJoqS__7O0?t=158
| Stratoscope wrote:
| Time to share my recipe for dry roasted pressure cooked brown
| rice.
|
| I make this using a stainless steel stovetop pressure cooker. I
| do not recommend aluminum.
|
| The ingredients are two cups brown rice (long or short grain as
| you wish), two cups of water or a little less (yes, the
| rice:water ratio is just 1:1), and half a teaspoon of salt or
| less. You can scale this up or down easily.
|
| Put the rice in the pressure cooker without the lid. Turn the
| heat on. You can use high heat for the first minute or two, but
| then turn it down so the the rice does not burn.
|
| Every minute or so, pick up the pan and swirl the rice around so
| it heats and browns evenly. It will take about ten minutes to be
| nicely roasted.
|
| Now here is where this relates to the article and discussion. As
| the rice browns, a few of the grains will pop just like popcorn.
| You can leave them in the pan or pick them out for a crunchy
| snack!
|
| When the rice is nicely browned, add the salt and swirl it in,
| then slowly pour in the water and give it one more swirl.
|
| Put on the lid and let the pressure come up to high (the second
| ring on my Perfect pressure cooker). Turn the heat way down at
| this point to maintain the pressure, and keep an eye on it.
|
| Set a 20 minute timer and release the pressure when it is done.
| Use a steel spatula to gently mix the rice and scrape the crispy
| bits off the bottom of the pan.
|
| Enjoy!
| almog wrote:
| Would aluminum not work as well because it conducts heat better
| than steel so it might burn the rice? Asking because I have an
| aluminum pressure cooker and I'd like to try it still.
| spathi_fwiffo wrote:
| sounds a bit like a pilaf, but with less water for the final
| step. What is the final product like? normal rice or something
| else?
| Stratoscope wrote:
| It comes out a lot like conventionally cooked brown rice, but
| with more of a toasty flavor from the roasting step.
| nullecksor wrote:
| The best way to eat whole grains is to roast them (like popcorn),
| along with some dry fruits ground them into grainy flour.
|
| You can try multiple combinations, (rice, wheat, millet, corn,
| lentils, with cashew/pistachio/wallnuts)
|
| Use that flour with milk/sugar or with literally with anything
| and you have your fancy breakfast!
| tylershuster wrote:
| This is kind of interesting. I might try the rice. Kind of
| strange that the author didn't try sorghum, which I have tried
| and works pretty well. It's much smaller than corn, but it has a
| similar texture. I call it "spoon-pop" because you kind of have
| to eat it with a spoon.
| tinglymintyfrsh wrote:
| And cook rice grown in arsenic-laden soil in a coffee maker or
| find rice grown somewhere else with "cleaner" soil.
| [deleted]
| gumboza wrote:
| Well i just tried this with all the grains in my cupboard and it
| now smells like burned ass in here and it all tasted horrible.
| schwartzworld wrote:
| This is, as the kids say, cap.
|
| Popcorn works because the outer hull is strong enough to hold
| together until a critical mass of pressure builds inside to
| rupture it. At that point the starches, which have liquefied
| under pressure, explode and unliquify rather suddenly.
|
| White rice and pearled barley have their hulls removed. You can
| see in the picture that the barley has split, but not popped, and
| the rice just looks a little blistered. These will never pop like
| popcorn.
|
| It is possible to pop some other grains like popcorn, but none of
| the ones listed here, at least not using the methodology
| described. Puffed rice and wheat are done in machines that lower
| the air pressure to create the same conditions as popcorn.
| kfrzcode wrote:
| > as the kids say
|
| actually this is as black folks say, appropriated by youth
| culture, much like anything else
| dmitryminkovsky wrote:
| > White rice and pearled barley have their hulls removed.
|
| I haven't read the article, but the title says "whole grains",
| which to my knowledge do not have the bran ("hull"?) removed.
| Maybe the corn hull is uniquely strong enough to withstand that
| inner pressure and pops the way it does? But as far as I know,
| a "whole grain" should have little-to-nothing removed from the
| seed.
| borski wrote:
| The parent is right; not every single one the author tests is
| a whole grain, and they even talk about it in the article in
| the section about Arborio rice, for example.
| hejaodbsidndbd wrote:
| ars wrote:
| > Puffed rice and wheat are done in machines that lower the air
| pressure to create the same conditions as popcorn.
|
| You mean raise the air pressure. They cook them at very high
| pressure, and then suddenly release the pressure and they all
| explode. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffed_grain
| adlpz wrote:
| I've seen rice done in videos by (I believe?) heating them
| under pressure and then releasing the pressure suddenly,
| causing _max puffage_.
|
| An example: https://youtu.be/ZyJoqS__7O0
| mdani wrote:
| Puffed rice is made differently in India. They use a hot pan
| and black sand with no pressure release. Example:
| https://youtu.be/36GKVfo5PUA
| verdenti wrote:
| Retric wrote:
| To be clear, it's black salt which is possibly in sand
| sized particles not black beach sand. So he doesn't need to
| worry about leaving grit in the puffed rice.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak
| pontifier wrote:
| I've seen this device in videos before, I wonder why I never
| see them at like Farmers markets here in the US. They'd
| probably make a killing.
| engr wrote:
| I think safety may have something to do with it, it's
| pretty much a bomb
| Ancapistani wrote:
| I... don't think that's it.
|
| I'm tempted to find and buy one a pressurized popcorn
| popper like that, and set up at my local farmers' market.
| It might be popular, or it might not - but it would
| definitely be fun.
| moffkalast wrote:
| So, a pressure cooker would do?
| dragonwriter wrote:
| Home pressure cookers tend to be safeguarded against
| instant release. Some models of the Instant Pot of an
| optional accelerated quick release using an ice pack, but
| its still much more gradual that what seems to be used for
| this purpose.
| sometimeshuman wrote:
| Wether or not it is popped, is it ready to eat ? From a prepper
| perspective it would be great to have an alternative way to
| prepare rice without having to boil away water that might be in
| scarce supply. It's also attractive to cook rice in 2 minutes
| as opposed to waiting for a pot of water to boil.
|
| Edit: If no one replies, I'll try tonight and report back by
| tomorrow morning.
| adrian_b wrote:
| Rice (or any other cereals) can be cooked in a microwave oven
| in between 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the amount and on
| the oven, and without using more water than will be absorbed
| by the rice, which is typically about 4 times the mass of the
| rice (e.g. 125 g of rice + 500 g of water).
|
| There is no need for a pot of water or for fuel, but
| electricity is needed. Bread can be made with much less
| water, but that does not save anything, because in that case
| you must drink more water.
| VBprogrammer wrote:
| Where do you live that water would be in that short supply?
| It only has to be a reasonably fresh and clear, not
| necessarily drinkable given it's going to be boiled for
| several minutes.
| tracker1 wrote:
| Can't speak for anyone else, but here in Phoenix, if the
| municipal water stops pumping for whatever reason, options
| are very scarce, and hope you have a good multi-stage
| filter + UV setup with at least an OK source of water. You
| should generally have 15 gallons of clean drinking water
| per person on hand, which should last a couple weeks. In
| addition to a larger supply of water for washing/flushing.
|
| TBH, I don't have this much, have about 15 gallons of fresh
| drinking water for 2 people, and a pool in the back with
| enough chemicals to keep it treated for a few months
| (flushing/cleaning use)... I could probably rig something
| with my RO and a UV light with a tank pump and a few other
| bits if it really came down to it though.
|
| Have thought it might be cool to build a trailer with a
| generator, portable filtration system and water tank... The
| reality is, if things went bad, generally would only be for
| a couple weeks where I am, or would be bad enough that
| migration to another area would be necessary and at that
| point, who knows.
| quickthrower2 wrote:
| Assuming you have sunny days could you leave the (river?
| rain?) water all day in clear containers for the UV? You
| might need to do a lot at once to save for non sunny
| days.
|
| Assuming no industrial pollution.
|
| Probably want some resorts before this last resort
| though.
| pdonis wrote:
| Since the GP said "from a prepper perspective", I assume
| he's thinking of conditions after some catastrophe has
| disrupted normal services.
| hombre_fatal wrote:
| Aside from the other responses, the second biggest city in
| Mexico just had a drought for months.
|
| Not to say people are going to begin experimenting with
| popping whole grains over it, but water goes into short
| supply all over the world. And in those cases the water you
| can get has things like heavy metals and runoff that don't
| just boil out.
| Spivak wrote:
| > Puffed rice and wheat are done in machines that lower the air
| pressure to create the same conditions as popcorn
|
| Maybe for commercial production but it isn't necessary in
| general. I make puffed rice all the time with hot salt in a
| skillet. It's a lazy way to use leftover rice since you need to
| cook it first anyway.
| lahvak wrote:
| High tech: https://youtu.be/Rlh_7xzXwtc
|
| Low tech: https://youtu.be/Oq4H3awS5iA
| sasattack wrote:
| edit: oh god never mind
| BoorishBears wrote:
| I'm black and your comment is demeaning in a way I can't put
| my finger on.
|
| Kids do say "cap" all the time now, acting like we have so
| few wins that we need to get credit for it or something feels
| insulting.
| sasattack wrote:
| ok123456 wrote:
| I'm cringing at this bigly.
| heleninboodler wrote:
| > I am simply stating a fact
|
| FYI, you aren't though. You called it "demeaning" to
| attribute it to the youth. That is not a fact, that's
| your opinion.
| MichaelDickens wrote:
| Presumably,the word 'cap' (in this context) was
| originally used by a single person. If young (non-black)
| people stole it from black people, then black people
| stole it from that person. But I don't think it makes
| sense to describe using a word as 'theft'.
| BoorishBears wrote:
| You didn't just state a fact, you said it was demeaning.
|
| Did you forget what you wrote a few moments ago?
|
| As for your edit, it's funny how quickly our defenders go
| on the offensive the moment we don't kiss their feet for
| it.
|
| (Also for the record, my family is from a third world
| country, my parents grew up in poverty Americans can't
| imagine, and now they both hold doctorates. Their son
| (me) is a fully self-taught developer who works on
| autonomous vehicles. Those are the kinds of wins we focus
| on, not who said "cap" first.)
| imajoredinecon wrote:
| > It is possible to pop some other grains like popcorn, but
| none of the ones listed here, at least not using the
| methodology described.
|
| I didn't read the article as asserting that any of the grains
| popped like popcorn? There's a picture that makes this quite
| clear.
| dwighttk wrote:
| I dunno I have some genmaicha with roasted rice and a good
| number of the grains look like downsized oblong popped corn
| elil17 wrote:
| Perhaps puffed is a better word than popped.
|
| While it is true that puffed rice is currently made using large
| pressure swings, people online claim rice has been puffed using
| "hot salt frying"
| (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_salt_frying) for hundreds of
| years (https://nitter.net/whetstone_mag/status/1564282053025210
| 368?..., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffed_rice) and
| supposedly there is a secondary source dating this practice to
| 1886 at the absolute latest, about two decades before the
| invention of the modern production method.
|
| This method seems like a reinvention of hot sand frying. They
| would probably expand better if they were soaked in water prior
| to puffing.
| dragonwriter wrote:
| > While it is true that puffed rice is currently made using
| large pressure swings, people online claim rice has been
| puffed using "hot salt frying"
|
| Cook-and-then-fry (with various frying methods) seems to be
| the commonly-documented method for home puffed/popped rice.
| JoeAltmaier wrote:
| In fact, putting rice in hot sand to puff it is sometimes
| thought to be the world's oldest cooking technique. Still
| done in places in India.
| hinkley wrote:
| Puffed oats aren't as popular in breakfast cereal but they
| also exist.
|
| [edit] looks like Arrowhead makes puffed everything cereal.
| Rice, oats, corn, millet, kamut...
| ketanmaheshwari wrote:
| Puffed rice is almost a staple in many parts of India. Called
| murmure in Hindi. Poha is also a variant of puffed rice.
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poha_(rice)
| noobalicious1 wrote:
| Puffed rice in green tea (genmaicha) is excellent after a meal.
| tomjakubowski wrote:
| See also Rice Krispies
| tinglymintyfrsh wrote:
| Com and poha flattened rice are a bit different from oven-
| roasted, high-moisture rice as a breakfast cereal.
| tomjakubowski wrote:
| They're varieties of puffed rice often eaten in milk
| Groxx wrote:
| Huh. Does a normal air popper get hot enough for these? Seems
| like probably, since the pop is largely just due to internal
| pressure from heating the water? Air poppers are incredibly
| foolproof compared to pan popping.
| tinglymintyfrsh wrote:
| If one needs hotter air cooking, I suggest looking a coffee
| roaster.
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