I always use to envy my mother’s perfect basmati rice. Every time, it came out, fluffy, flavourful and never burned. No matter how much I tried to emulate her recipe, something would always go wrong. That is until I discovered my own simple way to cook basmati rice.
The big trick, which I learned from my mother, is to make sure to wash the rice. This is not to clean it, but to remove the starch which in turn will give you that texture and separation that you don’t find in sticky rice. So put the amount of rice you are going to cook in a large bowl. Fill it with cold water, then drain the water out. Repeat that a couple times.
Then if you’re not in a rush, fill the bowl with water again and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I’m exactly sure why, but that’s what my mom does so I don’t question it.
I’m usually in a rush and need the rice ready quickly so I skip that step. Now that you know the little tricks, here are the ingredients you will need and the directions on how to make the basmati rice quickly and easily.
Ingredients
1 cup of uncooked basmati rice
2 cup of water
(whatever measurement of rice you’re making, double the water plus a little bit more.)
1 Tbsp oil (I’ve used canola or olive)
1/2 tsp of salt
Instructions
1. Put your (washed) rice in a large pot. Add the water.
2. Add the oil and salt. Then mix it all together with a spatula.
3. Bring everything in the pot to a boil and then reduce it to the lowest you can and simmer it for 15 minutes. The trick here is to put the lid on it, but don’t close it completely. Leave a little bit open.
4. Keep an eye on the rice. You’ll know it’s done when the water is gone and the rice is nice and fluffy. Check on it during the 15 minutes since stoves are all different and some will cook faster than others.
Once it’s cooked, give it a stir and it’s ready to serve. Super easy to make and tastes good with anything!
Enjoy your Easy Basmati Rice.
Like your step-by-step training and photos – I didn’t know about washing rice to help remove the starch – great idea 🙂
It’s been a while since I’ve made Basmati. I’ve been experimenting with long-grain rice for sushi lately!
That looks perfect! I cook rice often so I will try it. I owned a few cafe’s and a catering business before moving to Florida and I had to cook white rice in HUGE quantities daily and I learned a trick from a chef. Put equal rice in a pan (we used quarter pans because this was a professional kitchen) and cover with the same amount of water (measuring in height, not weight or by volume). cover tightly with foil and bake on 350 for almost an hour (which depends on how much rice you are cooking but this was the time for mine) You can pull it out and stir/check on it as necessary, but it yields absolutely perfect rice. Clean-up is no picnic but if you spray the pan with non-stick spray, it helps. Salt and serve. 😉
Thanks for the trick Melody! My mom often cooks very big meals so I will pass this along.
I’m not much of a cook but you broke this down into clear and simple steps which is awesome! I love the tip about washing the rice. I’ve never heard that before.
I hope you’re successful with it Kathleen!
I actually heard about washing the rice first but had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder! Take care!
Anytime Jeanne!
I used to cook a lot of rice several years ago, and found that the secret was to use a rice cooker. A number of Asian friends swore by them, and I found a pretty inexpensive one that worked like a champ. I always saw cooking rice in a pot as a serious challenge; for some reason I could never get all of the water out while still having fluffy (not soggy or gritty) rice. It’s been a while since I used a rice cooker and don’t even know where mine is these days (I have boys, so that bit of kitchen gear could be ANYWHERE by now!), so perhaps I should brave the rice-in-a-pot again using your mother’s recipe!
I’ve actually never tried a rice cooker before Anna, but apparently it’s quite good! Best of luck if you try using the pot again 🙂