The Key Steps Involved In Paddy Parboiling With The Latest And Improved Equipment

Paddy parboiling may be defined as the partial boiling of paddy done at Paddy Parboiling Plant before they are sent for milling to ensure increased nutritional value, change texture of cooked rice and reduce breakage during milling.

The Key Steps Involved In Paddy Parboiling Are As Follows:

• Washing

During this step, the paddy is washed properly in the basin with a large quantity of water. It needs around 3 liters of water per kilogram of paddy rice. Washing helps removing any sort of residues and dirt like grass or sand particles from the paddy and unripe grains. The unripe grains floating at the surface while washing are accordingly collected with the help of a sieve or a small basket. Sand accumulated at the bottom of the basin is then discarded after the clean paddy is collected carefully. It takes around 2-4 hours to clean the paddy. However, it may vary depending on the amount of dirt content.

• Soaking Paddy In Hot Water

After collecting clean paddy, it is poured in the cast aluminum pot filled up with clean water. The water is poured such a way so it floats above the paddy. Now the mixture of water and paddy is put on fire; wait until the temperature reaches 60⁰C. The temperature is so high that it becomes difficult for the processors to dip their finger in the water. And this is when the heating process gets completed. During this operation, the paddy has to be stirred occasionally. The process runs for 20 – 40 minutes for 25 kg of paddy. Once heated, the paddy is being removed from fire and left to cool overnight in Parboiling Plant.

• Precooking Paddy With Steam

Drip-dry paddy is then poured in steaming pan inserted into a pot filled with about 10 liters of clean water. However, the water in the pot must not touch the bottom of the pan to ensure that the product doesn’t get wet. The water is allowed to get heated to its boiling point and the water vapour passes through the holes in the pan. And this way, the paddy is precooked. The process will be declared as completed when the husks of some of the grains are burst. Duration of the process of precooking continues for around 13 minutes for about 24 kg of paddy.

• Draying Paddy

And finally the process of drying comes into play. Steamed paddy, after being dried in sunrays for around one and half hours, is collected and eventually dried in shade for around 16 hours prior to the hulling takes place. In some plants, Paddy Dryer is also used. Whether you dry it in the sunrays or in shade, the paddy must be spread evenly on tarpaulin or canvas. If there is any separate drying area, it will be even better. drying the paddy, first under the sun and then in shade, helps reducing the water content to about 21 percent and 10 percent respectively. It may be considered that the drying process in the shade is completed as the husk can be removed easily by rubbing the paddy between the palms. In fact, this determines end of the entire process of paddy rice parboiling. Once it is done, paddy can be stored or hulling of the paddy can be started.

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