HOW TO COOK BASMATI RICE

   A very common question for the beginners (just like me :P ). How to Cook Basmati rice long and tender just as it hotels?

     The aroma of raw basmati rice itself is so tempting that I have always been wondering how to cook it because it tends to get overcooked easily. Basmati rice needs to fluffy and we have to be careful that the grain doesn’t break off. I generally cook basmati rice in three ways.

In a Pressure Cooker:

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Water – 1.5cups

Method:

Wash the basmati rice.

Soak it in 1.5 cups of water just for 10 mins.

Add this rice to pressure cooker along with water. Add a pinch of salt and oil to this. This helps prevent rice from getting over cooked.

Allow it for 1 whistle.

Let the pressure subside and let the rice cool down. Dont use a  spatula immediately. 

Fluff it with a fork.

Basmati rice is ready to be served.

  

Directly on Stove Top:

I generally prefer this method of cooking as it the safest and the best method to get basmati rice fluffy. Also it doesn’t take more than 10 mins.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Method:

Wash the basmati rice. This doesn’t need soaking of rice.

Add 2 cups of water in a wide bowl. Allow it to boil.

Now add the rice to boiling water.

Keep stirring occasionally. After 7 to 10 mins, you can find all the moisture getting evaporated.

Switch off the stove at this point. You might feel the rice is little wet. Once it gets cooled, the moisture will be lost.

 Now fluff it with a fork. The grains would be separate and tender and long just as in restaurants.

In my opinion this is the best and foolproof method to cook rice. You need not worry about rice getting overcooked at all.

  

In  a rice cooker:

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Water – 1.5cups

Method:

Wash the basmati rice.

There is no soaking required here.

Add 1 cup of basmati rice in the rice cooker.

Add 1.5 cups of water.

Put the rice cooker in ‘Cook’ mode.

Switch off the rice cooker, once it reaches ‘Keep warm’ mode.

Allow the rice to cool and Serve it.