How to make puffed/popped rice?

Interesting question. Did search 'how do I make puffed rice'. Came up with some interesting information.

There are some writings that suggest that puffed rice can be made like popcorn; get the moisture in the grains of rice to the correct level (no idea what the level should be, experimentation should guide you I suppose) and then (depending on what source you read) put in a popcorn popper, put it on sheets in the oven or fry it in oil.

The history indicates that the first puffed rice made in the U.S. was actually shot from a cannon, after, I presume, being thoroughly soaked to some level of softness; there was a cereal advert in the '60s that bragged "this is the cereal that's shot from guns". Am thinking that the softening of the rice, probably by cooking, and then putting it into a pressure vessel in which the pressure is allowed to rise to a certain PSI (pounds per square inch) and explosively releasing the pressure, causes the grains to boil or fizz or effervesce, gives them the light puffiness we see at the market.

If I'm reading the information correctly, the devices to make puffed rice are available

Here is a link to a video showing the explosive creation of puffed rice by a traveling puffed rice manufactury on a bicycle in Taiwan;

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3915559836111131480#docid=-4928826327589404249

Here are some other links, kind of vague, regarding non explosive puffed rice:

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question393.htm

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/20752/how-to-make-puffed-rice

http://www.indiamike.com/india/indian-recipes-f108/how-to-make-puffed-rice-at-home-t94003/

This last link has some history & speculation of how puffed rice has been made non explosively using hot salt, or sand...didn't read all of the ideas.

Have fun, and be safe.

Puffed rice is made by cooking rice as usual but only half way. Then drain the rice & cook in the oven at 350 degrees until it reaches desired puffiness. It's easy.

Puffed rice is a very common snack in the island where I grew up... We would dry cooked rice under the sun until it gets hard and totally out of moisture then deep fry them in hot oil until they puff.. :)

Here's a video that may help you out.

http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2012/11/diy-puffy-rice-snacks/

The idea is that you'll need to have the proper water content in the rice to in effect puff it using pressure. As the video explains this is like popcorn.

The video recommends cooking the rice with 3X the amount of liquid recommended for normal cooking, pureeing it until it is a gelatinous goop, at which point you can add seasonings or flavorings, then you'll need to dehydrate the mixture. They recommend using the microwave by spreading the mixture into a thin layer on a plate covered in plastic wrap and microwaving for 3 minutes +/- 30s to get a nice dry texture. Then fry in 190C oil until puffed and crisp.

Par boiled rice should be roasted on a skillet with constant stiring and adding little water at a time ; if desire pinch salt. The rice should n't swell up but soak water. When the rice turns brownish remove from the element. Then add little amount in the pop corn machine. it will pop up