How does the quantity of salt change after the steaming stage when cooking pulao?

When making pulao¹, I taste the salt in the broth before the steaming stage (also called dum). At this time, the saltiness is just right. But after the rice has finished steaming, it is less salty than before.

Why does this happen? What is the effect of steaming on the saltiness of cooked rice?

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¹ Pulao is a very popular rice dish on the Indian subcontinent and Middle Eastern countries in which rice is cooked in a seasoned broth. The broth may contain cooked onion, garlic, ginger along with spices. It may also contain meat, fish or vegetables. It is sometimes also called rice pilaf.

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Best Answer

Dum is the steaming stage of the cooking. This is the stage where rice absorb water and the flavor. From my experience and what all our generations have been told on how to cook pulao/rice, you taste the water/broth just after adding rice. It should be a bit saltier than what you would normally like. This way the saltiness in rice will be just right when you finish the cooking.

EDIT (with the comments from Stephie):

Rice absorbs water and with the water, some of the salt.

In the beginning, you are tasting the water : salt ratio. After cooking, you are tasting the (water + rice) : salt ratio which means you are getting something that tastes less salty.

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Quick Answer about "How does the quantity of salt change after the steaming stage when cooking pulao?"

It should be a bit saltier than what you would normally like. This way the saltiness in rice will be just right when you finish the cooking.

How do you add salt to cooked Pulao?

1 Answer

Turn your rice into fried rice, seasoning in the end.

Make some yummy sauces and add onto your rice.

Dissolve salt in water to become a salty solution, spray it on your rice and reheat again.

How do you adjust salt in rice?

The high-fat content of cream, condensed milk or full-fat milk works to counteract the saltiness of the rice. By adding a tablespoon or more of cream or high-fat milk to the dish with rice in it, then the saltiness can be reduced.

Do you add salt when you cook rice?

Rice is like pasta\u2014you have to salt the water, or else you'll have bland rice. I put a \xbd tsp. to a tsp for each cup of rice." Start with a boil, then bring it down to a low heat. If you cook rice too quickly, the water will evaporate and the rice will be undercooked.

How do you add salt to biryani?

Dissolve some salt in warm water, pour it evenly in your cooking pot and then cook on low flame for a few minutes. Just make sure you don't burn the rice.

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