Using Par-boiled Rice
For making puffed rice, you will need:
- Salt (2 cups)
- Par-boiled Rice (as many as desired)
In a large skillet, heat the salt while stirring with a wooden spoon at high to medium flame for 5 minutes. When the salt is hot, add half a cup of par-boiled rice to it. Stir constantly. The rice will start to puff up in a few minutes. Wait until all of them are done. Use a strainer to separate the rice and salt. Repeat for more puffed rice. Do not add a lot of rice at once as it may reduce the heat inside the pan and the rice won't puff up thoroughly.
Frying
To make puffed rice, you first need cooked rice. Make your rice according to the package instructions. If making a single serving, this will yield you around 3 cups of rice. Spread your rice out on a baking sheet and dehydrate in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for around 2 hours. The rice should be hard and lost all its tenderness by the time you're done.
Then, you'll need an oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut, canola, or sunflower. Take a saucepan with high sides and add your oil until it comes up at around a half an inch to shallow-fry the rice. Taking care not to overcrowd the pan, add small amounts of the dehydrated rice at a time to the saucepan and fry until puffed and lightly golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain off the excess oil, wait to cool, and voila! You've made puffed rice.
