Basmati Rice Recipe | How To Cook Basmati Rice

For us Indians, nothing will be extra comforting than a bowl of rice-dal. Even the fanciest of dishes can by no means take its place. Once we do wish to go a bit overboard, there’s the flavorful biryani, once more manufactured from rice. And when talking of rice, it’s nearly a criminal offense if I don’t point out in regards to the lengthy, aromatic basmati rice. This basmati rice recipe is a guidelines to present you an perception on prepare dinner it (in a pot or pan) completely. I additionally share Tips on how to Cook dinner Basmati Rice for Biryani with loads of ideas.

Basmati Rice – Satisfaction of India

Scented, high-quality, non-glutinous and clean – these are a number of the methods to explain one in every of India’s most prized possessions, the basmati rice. Additionally, an Indian reward to the worldwide connoisseurs and meals cultures.

Basmati is shaped of the Hindi phrases ‘bas’ which means ‘perfume’ and the suffix ‘mati.’ The tropical local weather of India and soils nurtured by the snow fed rivers from the Himalayan area is appropriate for the cultivation of this rice.

Thus, it’s believed that Indian farmers from the northern areas have been rising this fragrant rice since ages now. Along with the others, the slender form of the basmati rice can also be one in every of its necessary traits, portraying extremely of the immemorial civilization that has nurtured it.

Areas the place it’s cultivated: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh

It’s apparent that the basmati rice has been a royal favourite of many emperors and has had poets flattered by its character since centuries. 

Cooking Basmati Rice

I made a decision to dedicate a complete publish on prepare dinner basmati rice with none hassles, because the time it had been requested by lots of my readers.

As rice is an everyday function in my dwelling meals, I’ve to arrange it nearly day by day. This has additionally helped me to get expertise in cooking this distinctive rice successfully, in a pan, stress cooker in addition to electrical cooker.

Personally, I just like the basmati rice recipe which will get achieved in a pan on stovetop, because it retains the rice grains separate. So, on days when I’ve a meal consisting of a dal tadka, dal fry, vegetable/paneer or another wealthy curry, I prepare dinner the basmati rice this manner.

Nevertheless, it’s time consuming to prepare dinner this rice in a pan if I’m having relations or visitors coming over. On such days, I prepare dinner it in both a stress cooker or electrical cooker to lock the method and scale back my workload.

The flipside of the basmati rice recipe cooked in these two gear is that, the rice grains are sticky and is probably not most well-liked by some. I imply simply think about mixing a beautiful lentil curry with sticky, mushy rice. It will lead to thick, unappetizing blobs of rice-dal morsels!

Strategies of Cooking

Technically, there are two methods in which you’ll prepare dinner this rice. That is basically for the instances when you find yourself utilizing a pot to prepare dinner the rice.

1. Boiling technique – Rinse the rice grains, place in adequate quantity of water in a pot and put it on a stovetop. You possibly can discard the water as soon as the rice if cooked.
2. Absorption technique – On this, rice is cooked in a exact quantity of water.

I have a tendency to make use of each the strategies, as and the way required. Nevertheless, this publish focuses on utilizing the absorption technique of cooking this rice.

On this, the rice grains are getting cooked until they flip gentle and fluffy. The basmati rice is just not ‘al dente,’ which means the rice grains don’t have a slight chew to them. That is necessary to notice as even a bit of raw chew within the rice may give you abdomen points.

Rice and Water Ratios

Typically, the ratio of rice to water for basmati rice or another common rice is 1:2, which is what even I observe whereas cooking it in a pot. This can change when utilizing brown basmati rice or parboiled basmati rice (sella basmati rice) because the cooking time for each these is greater than their counterparts.

Following are a number of the rice to water ratios for cooking pre-soaked rice in a pot:

• 1:1.75 to 2 for normal basmati rice
• 1:2 to 2½ for natural basmati rice
• 1:2½ to three for parboiled basmati rice
• 1:3 for brown basmati rice

Ideas & Tips

1. High quality and Age: Whereas getting ready biryani or your easy on a regular basis basmati rice, one of the vital necessary issue is to make use of  high quality basmati rice. if you’ll be able to use the best one, half the job is completed.

You possibly can all the time first attempt cooking the rice plain and see if the grains get cooked fluffy and separate. Attempt to use high quality and aged basmati rice.

2. Rinsing: Rinse the basmati rice very well till a lot of the additional starch is washed off. This does assist in giving non-sticky and fluffy rice grains after being cooked.

3. Proportion of Water: Experiment a number of instances. I’ve used varied manufacturers of natural basmati rice in addition to Indian manufacturers of basmati rice. At instances a few of them yielded sticky mushy rice, even after rinsing them very effectively in water in addition to cooking for the best time period and utilizing much less water.

After cooking the rice for a number of instances, you’ll understand how a lot water is required to get them completely cooked. Most presoaked basmati rice will want about 1.75 to 2 cups of water.

Natural basmati rice wants extra water to prepare dinner than the common number of basmati rice. Aged and parboiled basmati rice may even want extra water.

4: Utilizing Fats: Including a little bit of fat like oil, butter or ghee helps to make the rice grains non-sticky and separate.

Step-by-Step Information

Tips on how to prepare dinner Basmati Rice – In a Pan

Rinse and Soak Rice

1. Take 1 cup heaped basmati rice (200 grams) in a bowl.

2. Start to rinse the rice grains in working water. Rinse the rice with a mild swirling of your fingers within the bowl.

3. You possibly can see opaque water within the beneath image. That’s the starch within the water.

4. The rice needs to be rinsed until the water turns into clear, clear and with out starch.

5. Then, soak the rice in ¾ to 1 cup water for half-hour. If utilizing extra portions of rice, add extra water.

6. After half-hour, pressure the rice effectively utilizing a strainer. Drain all of the water and put aside.

Cook dinner Basmati Rice

7. In a deep thick bottomed pan, add 2 cups water. Use a large deep pan in order that the water doesn’t spill out whereas cooking.

Tip: The quantity of water for use is determined by the standard of rice. Generally some basmati rice grains prepare dinner rapidly in much less water. On this case, you possibly can add 1.75 cups water.

8. Add ½ teaspoon oil. You may as well use butter or ghee. This step is non-obligatory and you’ll skip it too.

9. Add ¼ teaspoon salt or as per your style. Generally, even I don’t add salt.

10. On medium warmth, let the water come to a boil.

11. Add the drained rice.

12. As soon as all of the rice is added, you possibly can gently shake the pan, in order that the rice grains calm down.

13. Or alternatively, you too can give a mild stir with a fork.

14. Cowl the pan with its lid. You possibly can verify a few times whereas the rice is cooking. If the grains don’t look cooked and the water is over, add 2 to three tablepoons sizzling water. Stir gently with a fork.

15. Decrease the warmth and prepare dinner the rice until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice grains have cooked effectively. It took 8 minutes for the rice to be tender, gentle and fluffy. This time will range with the kind, high quality of pan and the depth of warmth.

Verify Doneness

Press a cooked rice grain together with your thumb and forefinger. It needs to be gentle and mash simply.

Or chew into a number of rice grains. It there may be resistance within the chew, this implies the grains have to be cooked for some extra time.

16. As soon as the rice grains are cooked, permit a resting time of 5 minutes, earlier than you open the lid. Then, gently fluff the rice with a fork.

17. Serve completely cooked basmati rice together with your favourite curry like kadai mushroom, paneer butter masala, palak paneer or dal.

Cooking Basmati Rice for Biryani

Making Basmati Rice for a layered biryani is just not a rocket science. With loads of ideas and methods I additionally share right here to make excellent basmati rice for a dum cooked and layered Vegetable Biryani Recipe. It’s going to assist you prepare dinner a extremely good, full and flavorful biryani.

For the standard dum cooked layered biryani varieties, the rice grains are par-cooked or half-cooked. Which means they don’t seem to be cooked fully.

The tactic of cooking basmati rice for biryani shared right here is barely meant for making biryani recipes through which the rice grains are 75% cooked. Rice grains which might be ¾ᵗʰ or 75% cooked can be utilized in making vegetable biryani, paneer biryani and mushroom biryani.

When making a biryani recipe all the time observe the recipe. Some biryani recipes the place much less gravy or yakhni is used, the rice grains will be cooked until 90%. For some recipes you might have to prepare dinner the rice grains until they’re 50% or 60% cooked.

With any biryani recipe, the cooking time of the rice will rely on the actual recipe as each recipe will probably be distinctive. In most of the vegetarian biryani recipes that I’ve shared right here, I’ve par-cooked the rice grains until 75%.

Generally I do get feedback or queries the place readers haven’t been capable of have a separate and but totally cooked grains of rice in a standard biryani. The rice turns into too mushy and gentle.

Why is my rice mushy

Whereas making any biryani, if the rice will get too mushy or gentle, the feel, taste and style of the biryani doesn’t come by way of very effectively.

Let me inform you why this occurs. In a layered dum cooked biryani, the rice is cooked twice:

1. First is the common cooking of rice in water and
2. Second is additional cooking of the rice in a tightly sealed pot or pan.

So if the rice is nearly cooked or cooked completely within the first occasion, then whereas cooking for the second spherical, the rice will get overcooked and finally ends up making a mushy or pasty biryani.

Therefore when making a biryani, par-cook the rice until its ¾ᵗʰ or 75% achieved. Additionally, if there are an excessive amount of liquids within the gravy base, it’ll find yourself making the rice overcooked.

Now you’ll ask, discover if the rice is cooked ¾ᵗʰ . You have to verify the doneness of the rice grains. I’ve defined the strategy within the step-by-step photographs beneath.

The most typical technique use to prepare dinner rice whereas making biryani is the speedy boiling technique.

• On this technique the rice is cooked in ample quantity of boiling water.
• As soon as the rice grains are cooked, the water is discarded.
• Therefore any remaining quantity of starch that’s there within the rice additionally will get discarded with the water. Thus making the rice much less sticky or with no stickiness.

Cooking rice for a biryani is just not troublesome in any respect. with some ideas stored in thoughts, one could make completely cooked rice.

I make biryani sometimes throughout weekends and by now I make actually good biryani. When I’ve biryani in eating places, I really feel those I make at dwelling are higher.

Step-by-Step Information

Tips on how to prepare dinner Rice for Biryani

1. Take 1.5 cups basmati rice (300 grams) in a bowl. You should use any quantity of rice relying on the biryani recipe you’re making.

However do the change the proportion of water that you’ll want for cooking relying on the quantity of rice used. Eg. for 1 cup of basmati rice, you possibly can take 3 to three.5 cups water.

Rinse by gently mixing the water with the rice grains in a bowl. Rinse till you get water which is obvious and never cloudy.

2. Soak the rice in 1 cup water for half-hour. Soaking is important, so don’t skip this step. In case you are used parboiled rice (sella basmati rice) than soak for an hour.

After half-hour drain all of the water and set the rice apart.

3. Take a deep bottomed pan. Add 5 cups water and warmth the water on a excessive flame.

Tip: To save lots of time, I warmth the water first in an electrical kettle. Then add the new water to the pan and place the pan on the range high.

4. When the water turns into sizzling, add all of the spices – 1 tej patta, 3 inexperienced cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon. Additionally add ½ tsp salt or as per your style.

5. Normally for many biryani recipes, the rice is cooked along with the spices. However in case you should not have spices or don’t wish to add any spices, then simply skip them.

You may as well add the spices talked about within the recipe or your personal alternative of spices.

6. Carry the water to a speedy boil.

7. Then add the rice. You may as well add ½ to 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee at this step. I typically don’t add oil or ghee.

8. Simply gently stir with a spoon or fork, after you add the rice.
Tip – one of many readers had given this suggestion so as to add a number of drops of lemon juice. Addition of lemon juice, helps in making the rice grains longer, whiter and non-sticky.

9. You will note that after including rice, the temperature of the water decreases a bit.

10. Don’t scale back the flame and proceed to prepare dinner the rice with none lid. It simply takes about 10 to 12 minutes for the rice to be cooked.

Timing will range with the depth of the flame, the thickness and measurement of pan and the standard of rice grains. The water will scale back because the rice grains will take in the water and swell.

11. The rice needs to be 75% or ¾ᵗʰ cooked. The grains ought to have a slight chew to them when cooked. The rice shouldn’t be totally cooked however nearly cooked.

To Verify

• You possibly can both press the rice grains between the forefinger and thumb or chew a number of rice grains. Whereas urgent, the rice grains you must really feel the softness of the cooked rice in addition to a faint rawness within the rice. Which means when you press the grains, it ought to get mashed but in addition there will probably be some denseness in them.
• If biting, you must get a slight chew within the rice grains.

12. Take away the pan from the range high and instantly drain the rice in a colander. You may as well rinse the rice gently with water in order that the grains cease cooking.

Gently fluff and preserve apart. You may as well unfold the rice in a plate or tray. Spreading them in a plate helps them to chill quicker and they’re simple to deal with whenever you start the layering.

13. When the rice turns into heat or cools at room temperature, you should use it for layering in biryani. The beneath photograph is of the Veg Biryani made with this cooked basmati rice.

Basmati Rice Varieties

India: Based on the Seeds Act, 1966, there are about 34 famous kinds of the basmati rice in India.

Just a few are:

• Basmati 370
• Haryana Basmati 1
• Kasturi
• Mahi Sugandha
• Bauni Basmati (Punjab Basmati 1)
• Taraori Basmati
• Pusa Basmati 1
• Dehraduni Basmati (Sort 3)
• Ranbir Basmati

Worldwide: Basmati rice additionally has some associated varieties which might be accessible in numerous elements of the world, apart from India. Baroma (Indonesia), Pishori/Pisori (Kenya) and Texmati (US) to call a number of.

Please you’ll want to fee this recipe within the recipe card beneath if in case you have made it. For extra vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or observe me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Basmati Rice recipe publish from the archives first printed in December 2015 has been republished and up to date on 8 June 2022.