Ground Toasted Rice
Rice that has been slowly toasted and then ground is mixed into smooth meat pastes for added texture and depth or sprinkled onto foods as a garnish. It can be purchased, usually packed in small plastic bags, but it is more fragrant and flavorful when freshly made. Some cooks like to grind the rice in an old-fashioned hand-cranked coffee or spice grinder. I prefer the speed of an electric coffee grinder that I reserve exclusively for grinding spices.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Select a skillet in which the rice fits in a thin layer. Put the rice in the pan, place over medium-low heat, and toast the rice, shaking the pan occasionally. The grains will first turn opaque and then golden. When the rice starts to show color, monitor the skillet closely, shaking it more frequently so that each grain toasts evenly. The grains will give off a fragrant nuttiness and shrink a bit, and the small holes at the end of each grain will be dark and visible. In general, it takes about 15 minutes to toast rice properly. When the grains are golden and/or golden brown, they are ready. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Step 2
When the grains are cool enough to handle, grind the rice in 1-tablespoon batches in a clean, dry electric coffee grinder. Pulse each batch about 8 times to achieve the texture of fine cornmeal. Do not grind to a fine powder. Put the ground rice through a coarse-mesh sieve, return the bits that didn’t go through the sieve to the grinder, and add the next batch of whole toasted grains. Repeat, passing each batch through the sieve and returning any bits to the grinder. At the end, there will be some bits that will have to be discarded. You can save time by preparing the ground toasted rice several hours in advance and keeping it at room temperature covered with plastic wrap.
