Previous Year Question

Rice starch consists mainly of two polysaccharides—Amylose and Amylopectin.

Amylose is a relatively linear-chain polysaccharide, whereas Amylopectin is highly branched. The amylose content of rice influences its cooking quality, texture and the behaviour of the cooked grains.

Important characteristics of Basmati rice include long and slender grains, high kernel elongation after cooking, separation of cooked grains and relatively low stickiness. An appropriate/intermediate amylose content is an important quality parameter associated with these characteristics.

For example, several modern Basmati varieties contain around 22–25% amylose and show excellent kernel elongation. Raw kernels of roughly 7–8.5 mm may reach approximately 14–17 mm after cooking in different Pusa Basmati varieties.

A higher proportion of Amylopectin generally tends to make cooked rice softer and stickier, whereas higher Amylose content tends to produce grains that are relatively firmer, more separate and less sticky.