Physical, physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of Bhoja chaul, a traditional ready-to-eat dry heat parboiled rice product processed by an improvised soaking technique

•Bhoja chaul is a traditional dry heat parboiled rice product of Assam, India.•It requires only soaking in water for softening before eating.•An improvised lab soaking technique of paddy was followed to make the product.•The developed product had desirable textural properties.•Product has good physical properties, high digestibility and no resistant starch. Bhoja chaul is a traditional whole rice product processed by the dry heat parboiling technique of low amylose/waxy paddy that is eaten after soaking in water and requires no cooking. The essential steps in Bhoja chaul making are soaking paddy in water, roasting with sand, drying and milling. In this study, the product was prepared from a low amylose variety and a waxy rice variety by an improvised laboratory scale technique. Bhoja chaul prepared in the laboratory by this technique was studied for physical, physicochemical, and textural properties. Improvised method shortened the processing time and gave a product with good textural characteristics. Shape of the rice kernels became bolder on processing. RVA studies and DSC endotherms suggested molecular damage and amylose–lipid complex formation by the linear B-chains of amylopectin, respectively. X-ray diffractography indicated formation of partial B-type pattern. Shifting of the crystalline region of the XRD curve towards lower values of Bragg’s angle was attributed to the overall increase in inter-planar spacing of the crystalline lamellae. Resistant starch was negligible. Bhoja chaul may be useful for children and people with poor state of digestibility.