A comprehensive review on instant rice: Preparation methodology, characterization, and quality attributes

Since the last few decades, the development of instant food products such as instant rice has emerged as a vital requirement for industries. However, inferiority in terms of its colour, flavour, and texture along with long rehydration time is few of the major challenges faced by food industries during its preparation. Due to the scarce availability of literature available related to it, the mechanism of quality deficiencies during its preparation is poorly understood. The present review article discusses various methodologies adopted for the preparation of instant rice and their effect on the quality parameters of instant rice. The basic sciences and principles associated with the quality change during various processing and treatments involved in the preparation of instant rice have also been discussed. The review also presents a detailed discussion on the characterization and quality attributes of instant rice prepared by different methods. A wide range of processing and treatments have been used for the preparation of instant rice which include pre-cooking such as washing and soaking and post-cooking such as freezing, drying, and storage. Each of these processes shows a significant effect on the characteristic properties of instant rice. The development of micro-fissures, leaching of starch granules, and interaction between the starch and non-starch macromolecules play an important role in the preparation of instant rice. The selection of rice variety is also an important aspect of the preparation of instant rice. Jasmine rice was found more suitable for the preparation of instant rice due to its quick rehydration properties.