A slightly nutty and aromatic long grain rice.
If you’re making the effort to prepare a meal with a side or rice base, why not go the extra mile and serve perfectly cooked basmati rice. It is a long grain rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayas with a nutty flavour and floral aroma. Cooked properly it’s an awesome side for almost any meal. This prep will give you a loose and non sticky rice.
Should I soak basmati rice?
It’s a good question and the answer is yes. Soaking the rice in room temperature water allows the rice to absorb water. This reduces cooking time and preserves flavour.
That being said, this is the first step. Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes.
Rinse the rice
After soaking the rice, rinse it in a fine sieve. You will notice the water is cloudy, this is caused by starches being released and washed off the rice. Failing to rinse is more than likely going to make the cooked rice sticky. The water doesn’t have to run totally clear.
What is the water to rice ratio?
After rinsing, the rice will be going back into the pot. Be sure to measure your water and don’t just cover the rice. The water to rice ratio is 2:1. So two cups of water for one cup of rice. This is pretty important because if there is too much water, the rice cannot absorb all of it. On the flip side, not enough water could allow the rice to burn.
Boil, simmer & let stand
Next you’re gonna bring the pot of rice and water to a boil, keep your eye on it though. Once it reaches a boil, cover it and reduce the heat to a simmer. Leave it covered and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes. Keep the lid on it and remove from heat.
Fluff & Serve
And there it is, perfect basmati rice. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it on the side of one of your favourite meals.
Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- water
Instructions
- Soak rice for 30 minutes in cold water. Rinse the rice in a fine sieve with cold water. This will remove any residual starches.
- In a medium to large pot (depending on the quantity of rice), add twice as much water as rice. In this case 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice.
- Watching carefully, bring the water/rice to a boil and then turn down to low heat. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Avoid removing the lid. At this point the water should be absorbed.
- Remove from heat, leave covered and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Before serving, fluff with a fork.
Notes
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