Rice water, a byproduct of rinsing rice, has various uses, primarily in beauty and culinary applications. What you mix into it depends on the intended use.
For Skin Toner:
This reference provides a recipe for a skin toner using rice water: "Take the cool Rice water in a bowl. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to it. Mix Two tsp of Rose water. Apply to the skin with a cotton pad as toner." This simple recipe combines rice water's purported soothing properties with the astringent qualities of lemon juice and the fragrant addition of rose water.
- Ingredients:
- Rice water (from rinsing and soaking rice)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons rose water
For Culinary Purposes:
The uses of rice water in cooking are diverse and depend on the dish. Some recipes utilize rice water as a cooking liquid, while others incorporate it as an ingredient for specific textures or flavors. Examples include:
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Sushi Rice: Some sushi rice recipes use rice vinegar, vegetable oil, and sugar in addition to water for cooking the rice, though this is not rice water itself. See Perfect Sushi Rice Recipe for an example.
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Ghanaian Rice Water: A Ghanaian breakfast recipe uses only water to cook rice for a light pudding, which is quite different from standard rice cooking. See Ghanaian breakfast recipe: rice water.
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Soapmaking: In soapmaking, rice water can be used as a partial replacement for regular water in the lye solution. It is mixed with the lye solution at a 50/50 ratio, as seen in Rice water soaping enquiry.
Remember to always use clean, fresh rice water, ideally stored refrigerated. The initial rinsing of rice removes impurities, as stated in the reference, "Rinse 1/2 cup of Rice to remove impurities." Soaking the rice for 30 minutes enhances the concentration of beneficial nutrients in the water.
