Best 3 Simple Basmati Rice Recipes

SIMPLE BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• This is the most important part: Wash the rice! Place the rice in a large bowl and fill with fresh, room temperature water. Swirl your hand through the water and the rice; the water will go cloudy. That's all the starch that we're trying to remove in order to have individual grains of rice, not the sticky kind that's popular in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. (According to traditional Indian wisdom, this also makes the rice easier to digest because so much of the starch has been removed). Once you've swirled your hand around for a minute or so, pour off the water, taking care not to lose any rice. Repeat this washing process until the water runs clear. Usually, this takes 3 or 4 changes of water.
• Fill up the bowl 1 more time and let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
• At the end of 30 minutes, drain the rice. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 3/4 cups water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
• Add the rice, stir, and wait until the water comes back to a full boil. When it does, turn the heat down as low as it can go, and then cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
• At the end of 15 minutes, cut the heat. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; you should see that every grain of rice has grown a little longer and is separate from its brothers and sisters. Well done!

SIMPLE CUMIN BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, soak the rice in the water about 30 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat; add in the cumin seeds and black pepper; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil.
• Quickly add in the rice with the water it was soaking in; mix in the salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Decrease heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan (partially at first, until the foam subsides, then snugly), and cook until the rice is done, 10-15 minutes.
• Do not stir the rice while it cooks.
• Remove from heat and let the rice rest undisturbed about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

SIMPLE CUMIN BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, soak the rice in the water, about 30 minutes.2. Heat the oil (or ghee) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and black pepper they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the rice with the water it was soaking in. Mix in the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan (partially at first, until the foam subsides, then snugly), and cook until the rice is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice while it cooks. Remove from the heat and let the rice rest undisturbed about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with cilantro, and serve. VARIATION: For more complex flavors, add 5 black crushed cardamom pods, 2 1-inch sticks cinnamon, and 8 to 10 cloves to the hot oil along with the cumin seeds in Step 2, then continue with the recipe.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.