What Is Steam Rice? Raw vs Steam vs Parboiled Rice

Steam rice is rice made from paddy that is lightly steamed and dried before milling. The grain stays white to creamy, cooks firm and separate, and breaks less during milling than raw rice. Most non-Basmati varieties, including Ponni, Sona Masoori and IR 64, are sold in three forms: raw, steam and parboiled.

For Basmati forms, see our guide Raw, Steam, White Sella or Golden Sella. This post covers non-Basmati rice.

The Three Forms at a Glance

• Raw: paddy dried and milled directly. White grain, the softest texture and the most natural aroma. Used for daily meals, South Indian dishes and sweets.
• Steam: paddy lightly steamed, dried, then milled. White to creamy grain that cooks firm and separate. Used in catering, restaurants and anywhere rice must hold for longer.
• Parboiled (sella): paddy soaked, fully steamed, dried, then milled. Creamy white or golden grain, the firmest and least sticky. Used in hotels, bulk cooking and markets that prefer parboiled rice.

Why Steam the Paddy?

• Fewer broken grains: steaming hardens the grain, so it survives milling better.
• Firm, separate cooking: steamed rice holds its shape and does not turn sticky.
• Longer life on the plate: cooked steam rice stays good longer in catering and buffets.

Parboiling goes further. The paddy is soaked and steamed through, which moves vitamins and minerals from the husk into the grain. Parboiled rice is the firmest of the three.

Which Form for Which Variety

These are the forms we offer for each non-Basmati variety:

• Ponni: raw, steam, parboiled
• Sona Masoori: raw, steam, white sella
• IR 64: raw 5% broken, parboiled 5% broken, steam, golden sella
• Swarna: raw, steam, parboiled
• PR 11: raw, steam, white sella, golden sella
• PR 26: raw, steam, white sella
• Sharbati: raw, steam, white sella, golden sella
• Sugandha: raw, steam, white sella, golden sella
• Jeerakasala: raw, steam, white sella
• Kerala Matta: parboiled, unpolished

Ponni Steam Rice: What It Means

Ponni steam rice is the Ponni variety, a medium-grain rice from South India, processed as steam rice. Its grains average about 5.50 mm before cooking. It cooks soft but separate, which suits rice meals, biryani-style dishes and daily cooking in South Indian homes and restaurants.

How to Choose

• Choose raw for soft, aromatic rice at home.
• Choose steam for restaurants and catering that need separate grains.
• Choose parboiled for bulk cooking and markets that prefer firm, non-sticky rice.

All forms are packed at our plant in Taraori, Karnal, in 1 kg to 50 kg bags, including private label. See all our Non-Basmati varieties, or contact us for samples and a quote.