Prepping Perfect Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
Instructions
- It’s important to use the right brand of rice - I recommend ‘long-grain’ Basmati - and also important to rinse the rice under running water for a couple of minutes before cooking. This is to release excess starch that prevents the grains from sticking together once cooked. Your rice should be tender and fluffy and the grains should not stick together.
- I like to rinse the rice in a large strainer. For every cup of Basmati rice, use one and a half cups of water. Since this recipe does not use salt, oil, or butter as many other recipes recommend, I sometimes like to cook the rice in vegetable broth to add more flavor. You can use Bonafide Provisions broth or use Healing Broth by Medical Medium®. If you are on a healing journey, it is best to avoid combining grain with fat, like butter or oil. This is because the combination of grains and fat can lead to insulin resistance. If you are dealing with a blood sugar problem, you will find it easiest on your blood sugar to not combine rice, millet, quinoa or oats with fats of any kind.
- Place the rice and water into a pot. Add 2 Indian Bay leaves and 1 cardamom pod for flavor.
- Once the water starts to boil, cook for approximately 14 - 17 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Do not open the lid.
- Once the water is absorbed, turn the heat off and let the rice sit on the stove untouched (and lid still closed) for another 5 - 7 minutes.
- Then open the lid and remove the cardamom pod and bay leaf and then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
- Rice stays good in the fridge for 4 -5 days.
Instant Pot Instructions for Perfect Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water (use 1 ¼ cup for brown rice)
- Place the rice and water (or vegetable broth) in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
- Close the Instant Pot lid
- Making sure the floating valve is in the sealed position.
- Pressure cook at high pressure for 6 minutes (18 minutes for brown rice).
- It takes the Instant Pot 5 - 10 minutes to fully pressurize.
- Once 6 minutes of pressure cooking is done, let the steam naturally release for approximately 9 - 11 minutes.
- Then release the floating valve to let go of the rest of the steam.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Making perfect basmati rice is definitely an art form. Having made it for countless Middle Eastern dishes, I have finally mastered the art of perfect basmati rice…and it’s all in the prep.
Here’s what you will need…
Ingredients
2 cups Basmati Rice
3 cups water or vegetable broth
And this is where the magic happens…
Method
- It’s important to use the right brand of rice – I recommend ‘long-grain’ Basmati – and also important to rinse the rice under running water for a couple of minutes before cooking. This is to release excess starch that prevents the grains from sticking together once cooked. Your rice should be tender and fluffy and the grains should not stick together.
- I like to rinse the rice in a large strainer. For every cup of Basmati rice, use one and a half cups of water. Since this recipe does not use salt, oil, or butter as many other recipes recommend, I sometimes like to cook the rice in vegetable broth to add more flavor. You can use Bonafide Provisions broth or use Healing Broth by Medical Medium®. If you are on a healing journey, it is best to avoid combining grain with fat, like butter or oil. This is because the combination of grains and fat can lead to insulin resistance. If you are dealing with a blood sugar problem, you will find it easiest on your blood sugar to not combine rice, millet, quinoa or oats with fats of any kind.
- Place the rice and water into a pot. Add 2 Indian Bay leaves and 1 cardamom pod for flavor.
- Once the water starts to boil, cook for approximately 14 – 17 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Do not open the lid.
- Once the water is absorbed, turn the heat off and let the rice sit on the stove untouched (and lid still closed) for another 5 – 7 minutes.
- Then open the lid and remove the cardamom pod and bay leaf and then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
- Rice stays good in the fridge for 4 -5 days.
If you happen to have extra leftover rice, put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it. Frozen rice should be used up within 3 – 4 months in the freezer!
To thaw out the rice, I like to place it in a glass food storage container and place in my Cuisineart Electric Steamer. You need about 2 – 3 minutes on full steam to get perfectly fresh rice.
Instant Pot Instructions for Perfect Basmati Rice
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 cup vegetable broth or water (use 1 ¼ cup for brown rice)
Method
- Place the rice and water (or vegetable broth) in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
- Close the Instant Pot Lid
- Making sure the floating valve is in the sealed position.
- Pressure cook at high pressure for 6 minutes (18 minutes for brown rice).
- It takes the Instant Pot 5 – 10 minutes to fully pressurize.
- Once 6 minutes of pressure cooking is done, let the steam naturally release for approximately 9 – 11 minutes.
- Then release the floating valve to let go of the rest of the steam.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
For Brown Basmati Rice – Special Notes
Follow the same instructions as for white Basmati rice, except soak the brown rice first for approximately 30 – 40 minutes. This helps to soften the grain and to cook faster. The longer you soak the rice, the shorter your cooking time. If you soak the rice overnight, then your cooking time can be as short as 15 minutes! If you soak the rice for 30 – 40 minutes then your cooking time will be about 40 minutes. Remember to turn the heat down once the water starts boiling and leave it on a slow simmer.
Also with the brown basmati rice, once the water has absorbed all the way and you turn off the heat, quickly open the lid and scoop out a little rice and shut the lid again (to keep the steam in the pot as it further cooks the rice). Check if the rice is tender. If so, it is done.
If the rice is not tender, continue cooking for another 2 – 4 minutes and if there is no more water left, add no more than ¼ cup to complete the cooking process.
Once the rice has cooked through, lift the lid and cover it with a kitchen towel, and quickly replace the lid. The towel absorbs the extra water and allows the rice to keep cooking for another 10 minutes or so and improves the fluffy texture of the rice. This resting time post-cooking is very important. Please do not skip this step!
Open the lid and let the rice air out for a few minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve!
I hope you enjoy this version of basmati rice. This works well with my Vegetable Biryani 3 Ways recipe.
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
