Have you ever wondered how to puff rice? While you're probably familiar with stacks of cereal boxes filled with the light crunchy grains, have you ever thought about making your own puffed rice and enjoying it beyond breakfast time?
Whether you want to add some crispness to your salads, offer a crunchy accompaniment to your meat and fish, make savoury spiced puffed rice snacks, or simply eat a less sugary breakfast than usual, puffed rice definitely has its place in the kitchen.
Intrigued? Discover just how quick and easy it is to make puffed rice at home:
What is Puffed Rice?
Just like popcorn, puffed rice is a rice made from corn swollen under the effect of heat - whether risotto, white or long grain rice - blown under hot pressure.
Where does Puffed Rice come from?
Puffed rice originated in India in around the fifteenth century when it was made as a sweet offering to the Hindu gods.
In the United States and parts of Europe, sweet puffed rice is a popular breakfast cereal as well as being used in sweet snacks.
How to Make Puffed Rice?
To make homemade puffed rice all you need is rice (of any variety) and a thick-bottomed pan. Find out how in the video below:
How to Cook Puffed Rice?
While the heat works its magic popping the rice you can add in any flavor of your choice to the rice like chocolate, caramel, lemon, strawberry, or turn it into an asian themed dessert.
You can also use puffed rice to make puffed rice snacks like crispy bars:
Marshmallow Crispy Bars
Or turn it into a delicious crunchy side dish, like in this recipe for Masala Puffed Rice: