Long-grained rice is a type of rice that is thin and slender – basmati rice, which literally translates to ‘queen of fragrance’ in Hindi, is the best and most popular kind.
Basmati rice is commonly used to make Indian rice dishes such as pulao and biryani. Basmati rice is used in Indian cuisine, including Indo-Chinese and Thai dishes. Yes, it is a kind of rice that is traditionally served in Indian cuisine. You will find that it has a nuttier flavor and pointed ends than ordinary white rice.
Notably, the basmati rice remains pearly white and flavorful after cooking. Read on as you find some excellent tips to guide you through cooking some basmati rice in the Indian style. I also included a brilliant recipe for your benefit.
Basmati Rice Nutrition Facts
Tips on How to Cook Basmati Rice Indian Style
Notably, there are some crucial tips to remember when cooking basmati rice, which I will outline below for your benefit.
Buying the perfect rice – For this recipe, you may need long grain basmati rice. It’s better if you can get your hands on an Indian brand of rice. Many mainstream grocery stores have begun to carry the more well-known brands. This is the brand I prefer to use.
You will find the price twice as much online, so if you live near an Indian store, show the grocery store clerk a picture of the package and I’m sure they will have some for you to buy.
Rinse and soak the basmati rice before cooking it – The first step is to measure the rice, strain it through a mesh strainer, and rinse it for a few minutes under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Some of the starch that coats the grain of rice is rinsed away and cleaned using this method. After that, put the rice in a dish and fill it with cold water. You should soak the rice for at least 30-45 minutes in cool water.
You will find that soaking the rice ahead of time in room temperature water allows it to absorb part of the water, just like when working with dried beans. Since the basmati rice has been soaked in water, the length of time it takes to boil the rice is reduced.
You will want to reduce the boiling time by another minute or two if you soak the rice for an hour. Unless you use the specific brand recommended, I don’t recommend going past the hour mark.
How to Cook Basmati Rice Indian Style – When cooking rice, you are probably used to dealing with a ratio, such as 1:1 or 1:2. The Indian style of Basmati rice is prepared in a somewhat different manner than other rice you may have prepared in the past.
Boil the rice – Bring some water to a boil in a large saucepan when the rice is about 15 minutes from finishing the soaking time. Reduce the heat to low for a second after the water has reached a boil, then add the salt and vinegar. If you don’t lower the heat, the water will begin to boil fast at that moment.
In a sieve, drain the rice and then add it to the boiling water. Allow the rice to simmer until it is slightly underdone to your liking. Once the rice has reached the 5-minute mark, I begin checking on it every minute.
While you prepare the saucepan, drain the rice. Proceed to drain the rice and rinse it under cold running water in the same mesh strainer. Rinsing the rice in this manner removes any leftover starch from the rice’s outer surface.
Steam the rice – You need to make sure the saucepan doesn’t have any water left in it. Then place the pan over medium heat and drizzle with oil, then wait for it to heat up. Return the rice to the saucepan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce to medium-low heat.
Now, wait for the rice to begin to sizzle. When it does, any remaining water will have turned to steam, and you can reduce the heat to a low level. Then allow the rice to steam for a few minutes.
After that, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for about 5 minutes. This will conclude the rice cooking process and make it fluffy and flawless.
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How Long to Cook Basmati Rice Indian Style
| Preparation Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
| 5 minutes | 15 minutes | 20 minutes |
Making Basmati Rice The Indian Restaurant Style (2 Servings)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour a cup of basmati rice into a saucepan.
- Fill the pan halfway with water and place it under the kitchen faucet.
- You need to gently whisk the rice and water together with your fingertips.
- You should remove as much water as possible by tilting the pan. (It’s fine if there’s some water in it.)
- Steps 2 – 4 should be repeated two more times. The third time through, you will find that the water will be less hazy.
- You can now add the water that was left aside for cooking after it has been washed.
- Proceed to heat the pan to high.
- You should combine and add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and ghee or oil to the cooking pot.
- Make sure you stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off the heat after the rice grains have doubled in size (this could be approximately 15 minutes).
- You can strain the rice to remove any extra water with a sieve.
- To make the rice in the strainer fluffy, go ahead to whisk it with a fork.
- Place in a serving dish and serve.
You can watch this video recipe to know to cook basmati rice in Indian style.