Basmati Rice

Basmati is a variety of long-grained aromatic rice that comes from the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly used in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking.

It’s commonly served as an accompaniment to curries, stir-fries and chilli. It is also used in biriyani and pilaf dishes.

It is also commonly used to make rice flour, rice syrup, rice bran oil, and rice milk.

Basmati is usually white, but there are brown or whole-grain varieties available.

How to cook basmati rice

Perfectly cooked basmati rice should be light and fluffy, here is how to achieve that!

80g of basmati rice is the standard sized portion per person.

Before you cook basmati rice it needs to be rinsed thoroughly to remove some of the starch. Using a sieve rinse the rice under cold running water, the water will be cloudy at first but will run clear after a few minutes. Removing the starch will prevent it from becoming sticky and clumping together.

When it comes to cooking the ratio should be 1 part rice to 1½ parts water.

• For 1 portion 80g of rice and 120ml water
• For 2 portions 160g of rice and 240ml water
• For 3 portions 240g of rice and 360ml water
• For 4 portions 320g of rice and 480ml water
• For 5 portions 400g of rice and 600ml water
• For 6 portions 480gof rice and 720ml water

Add the rice to a large saucepan, cover with the cold water and season well with salt. At this stage, you can also add other seasonings like cardamom pods, star anise or cinnamon sticks. You can also use stock instead of water!

With the saucepan lid in place bring the water to a boil quickly. When boiling reduce the temperature to a simmer and leave to cook for 8-10 minutes. Do not lift the lid! This is known as the absorption method.

This method also works well in a rice cooker.

Before serving remove any spices you may have added and fluff the rice with a fork.

Basmati rice Nutritional information

Basmati rice is high in carbohydrates, some amounts of protein and a very love fat content.

There are about 365 calories in 100g of cooked white basmati rice. Basmati rice like all rice is naturally gluten-free.

Basmati rice has a glycemic index of 52, this makes it a low-glycemic food and a good option for people with diabetes.

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