Chilling the rice does a couple of things.
Depending how you chill the rice, you can let a lot of steam out of the rice so its drier. This prevents soggy rice and it cooks up better. If you spread the rice out on a rimmed baking sheet, it cools quickly, 30-45 minutes.
It lets the rice starch set up . Otherwise it sticks and breaks up easily ruining the texture and appearance of the dish.
Phil |