Sayonara, mushy rice!
Basmati rice is a staple in Indian cuisine. Delicious and slightly nutty in flavor, this long-grained rice is traditionally from Northern India and Pakistan. One of India's most sought-after exports, tons of basmati rice are produced and cultivated annually.
Mush You Not!
A seemingly easy task - all types of rice can go from perfect to mushy or dry really quick if the water to rice ratio is off! Basmati is no different! Below are a few do's and don'ts to making the perfect basmati rice.
tools:
- 1 cup (white/brown) basmati rice • 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- A splash of oil
- 4 quart pot
yield: 3 cups of rice | prep time: 30 | cook time: 15 | total: 45 minutes
do's:
- Rinse your rice thoroughly. Get that excess starch out of here!
- TIP : Soak your rice for 30 min before you cook it. This improves both texture and flavor! By allowing your rice to soak you are enabling dishes - like Spicemode's Chicken & Chickpea Curry - to absorb into the rice, enhancing the flavor profile.
- Once drained, add the rice to your pot.
- Add 2 cups water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to boil under medium-high heat, uncovered.
- Once boiling, cover and turn heat down to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take the lid off. Allow rice to steam for a minute, then fluff with a fork.
dont's:
- Rush the cooking time - all of the excess water needs to boil off! If not completely absorbed your rice could turn out dry.
- Stir repeatedly - this causes the mush we talked about!
- Lift the lid - Try to do this VERY sparingly. You want to maintain a constant temperature throughout the cooking process!
Basmati Versus Everyone Else
Basmati rice takes a little bit longer to prepare compared to other types of rice but otherwise the instructions are the same! Simple as that!
Spicemode + Rice
Rice dishes are complementary to all of our signature cooking sauces and seasonings! For kitchen inspo, take a look here. Love a good curry? Get your rice skills ready and take on the dish below!
Chicken & Chickpea Curry: Spicemode's Masala Cooking Sauce makes a mean home-style curry!
