Rice-based batter cuts oil absorption by half.

Many calorie-counting dieters have had to cut back on their consumption of deep-fried foods. But such foods might now be acceptable as an occasional indulgence, if the fried favorite is made with a fat-fighting rice-flour batter.

Typically, fried drumsticks, crispy fries, or glistening donuts are loaded with oil and fat that can contribute to obesity and heart disease. But USDA-ARS chemists have formulated a rice-based batter as an alternative coating for fried foods. When compared to traditional wheat-based batters, the new rice mixture reduces oil absorption by more than half.

Investigators selected rice because rice is plentiful, and flours and starches made from it are among the least likely to cause food allergies. By using rice, scientists also take advantage of a basic scientific fact: oil and water don't readily mix. Because of rice's ability to retain water, it's better able to repel oil. About four years ago, researchers tested their rice flour mixture on chicken breasts and nuggets. The new batter absorbed 60% less oil than one made with wheat.

More recently, the researchers wanted to see how veggies dipped in the rice-flour mixture fared when plunged into hot oil. In contrast to animal products, like chicken and fish, which are also commonly deep-fried, vegetables are fat-free. Batters are responsible for soaking up most of the oil and fat when vegetables are battered and fried.

How this oil uptake occurs in foods that are battered compared with those that aren't is what interests the scientists. The vegetable they turned to for their study was a natural choice: fried okra, a culinary favorite across the southern United States. When dipped in the rice-based coating, the okra absorbed 50% less oil than when coated with a traditional wheat batter.

But what will fried okra fans think of this new, slimmed-down version? Investigators asked volunteers to evaluate the less oily, more heart-healthy okra. The panelists reported that the okra made with the rice batter was just as crispy and tasty as traditionally battered and fried okra. Some even found its rich, golden-brown color to be superior to wheat-batter okra.

The rice batter still awaits commercialization.

Further information. Frederick Shih, USDA-ARS Southern Regional Research Center, Room 127, S. Campus Dr., Food Science Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803; phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail].