Soaking · Steaming · Drying

Paddy Parboiling Plant

Parboiling hydrothermally treats paddy before milling — improving milling yield, hardening the grain against breakage and retaining nutrients. MDT supplies the complete soak–steam–dry line as one integrated unit.

Parboiling Plant

Technical — The parboiling plant hydrothermally treats paddy before milling, a controlled sequence of soaking, steaming, drying and cooling that hardens the grain, lifts milling yield and locks in nutrients. First the cleaned paddy is soaked so the kernel absorbs enough water for the starch to gelatinise; soaking is typically held at around 55–70 °C for 3.5–4.5 hours until moisture reaches above 30% . The soaked paddy is then steamed to gelatinise the starch, which fuses internal cracks and toughens the grain so far less of it breaks during milling. Finally the high-moisture parboiled paddy is dried back to a safe ~14% and cooled before it goes to the mill.
The pay-off is a higher proportion of whole, premium rice and better nutrient retention than raw milling. which is why parboiling improves rice yield and reduces grain breakage during milling. MDT supplies the complete line — soaking tanks, steaming vessels, drying and cooling — engineered to work as one continuous process. Batch/continuous capacity and cycle times:

For rice mill owners — Parboiling is one of the most direct ways to increase what your mill earns per tonne, and this plant does the whole job. In plain terms, it soaks and steams the paddy before milling, which hardens the grain from the inside so far less of it breaks when you mill it — meaning more full, unbroken rice and higher out-turn from the same paddy. Parboiled rice also fetches a strong, steady market and holds more of its nutrition, giving you a better product to sell. The process runs as a clean sequence: the paddy is soaked so it absorbs water, then steamed to set and toughen the grain, then dried back down to a safe level and cooled ready for milling. MDT supplies the complete line — soaking tanks, steaming, drying and cooling — engineered to work together as one continuous flow, so you're not stitching together mismatched machines. The bottom line for you: better yield and less breakage during milling.

Steam Plant
(Basmati Steam Processing Unit)

Technical — The steam plant produces what the trade calls "steam basmati" — a distinct category from both raw basmati and fully parboiled (Sella) basmati. Unlike parboiling, there is no water-soaking stage; instead, paddy is exposed directly to circulating steam, which passes through and around the grain in a controlled chamber rather than being driven by hot air alone. This steam treatment firms the grain structure and improves resistance to breakage during milling, without the deep starch gelatinisation and colour change that full parboiling produces — steam basmati keeps close to its natural white appearance and aroma, unlike the amber tone of Sella rice. The controlled steam exposure also reduces the long natural ageing period raw basmati needs (commonly 6–12 months) to develop good cooking and elongation properties, since steamed paddy retains its taste, colour and aroma without requiring extended storage. Steam pressure, exposure time and throughput:

For rice mill owners — This is the machine that lets you sell into the steam basmati category — a segment that sits between raw and Sella basmati and commands its own steady demand, particularly for export and the hospitality trade. The appeal for you is that it solves two problems at once: it toughens the grain so you lose less to breakage during milling — the same yield benefit that makes parboiling attractive — but it does this without turning your basmati amber the way full parboiling does, so you keep the white appearance and delicate aroma buyers pay for. It also means you don't have to hold stock for 6–12 months of natural ageing before it's ready to sell, which frees up your working capital and storage space considerably. If your basmati export or premium buyers ask for steam rice specifically, or if you want to reduce breakage losses without processing into Sella, this unit gives you that option without a full parboiling investment.

Stronger grain, higher yield

Parboiling soaks and steams paddy before it is dried and milled. The process gelatinises the starch inside the husk, which hardens the kernel — so far less of it breaks during milling. The result is a higher proportion of whole, premium rice and better nutrient retention.

MDT builds the full line — soaking tanks, steaming vessels and integrated drying — engineered to work as one continuous process rather than disconnected machines.

Higher head-rice yield — more whole grain, less broken
Better nutrient retention vs raw milling
Husk-fired boiler integration for low running cost
Soaking, steaming and drying matched as one line

Indicative specifications

Process stages

Soaking

Steaming

Capacity range

Boiler / steam

Outlet moisture (after drying)

Yield benefit

Control

Soaking → steaming → drying

Hot-soak in tanks, ~3–4 hours

Pressure / atmospheric steaming of soaked paddy

2 TPH to 100 TPD

Husk-fired boiler supplies steam & hot water

13–14%

Higher head-rice yield, stronger grain

Manual or PLC-based automatic

The process

Soak · steam · dry

Soaking: paddy is hot-soaked in tanks so the kernel absorbs moisture evenly. VERIFY
Steaming: soaked paddy is steamed, gelatinising the starch and hardening the grain.
Drying: the parboiled paddy — now high in moisture — is dried back to a safe 14% in an integrated dryer.
To milling: tempered grain mills with far less breakage and higher whole-rice yield

Not sure which configuration fits your mill?

Send us your paddy type and plant capacity. We'll build your plant around your numbers.