No, do not skip the step of rinsing the rice. Rinsing rice removes the excess starch that makes the grains stick together. The rice will not be separated and fluffy if you skip this step. Note: if you are making risotto or sushi rice or any other dish that benefits from the sticky texture, do not rinse in those instances. Learn more about the varieties of rice and different methods of cooking in my Healthy Rice Recipes article.