please advse me how to cook basmati rice

[Saltire]

Mine never ever turns out looking good. It is always like mushy!

[MrsJohnDeere]

Select amount of rice and weigh carefully.

Put double that amount of water in the pan (so if 100g of rice add 200ml of water).

Bring to boil then put a lid on and immediately turn the heat down very low. Ignore for 15 mins. Then turn the heat off but leave the lid on for another 5 mins.

Voila, ready.

[Saltire]

I might give that a try MrsJD.

I have tried a BBC good food way which involves lots of rinsing nad soaking of the rice, but it doesn't work.

[Rockinhippy]

Put the pan away

Use a lidded glass Pyrex type dish - put rice into this, with whatever seasoning you like - with curry we like to add turmeric -

Boil kettle - cover rice with boiling water plus aprox a third more water than rice - so if your rice comes up the bowl to about 2cm deep - add about 3 cm deep of water - or measure with cups if you prefer

Microwave on full power for 6-7 minutes & leave to stand - it will continue cooking/absorbing water whilst you get on with cooking the rest of the meal - nuke for another 2 minutes to heat through just before serving

Perfect fluffy rice every time, whatever rice you use

HTH

[Slainte]

And another different way of doing it.......

Add rice and loads of boiling water to the pot, put on the highest heat. Stir once. When the rice starts "dancing" at the top of the water, set your timer for 8 minutes. Drain and leave it in your sieve with a piece of kitchen paper over the top for 5 mins and your rice will be perfect.

I've been doing it this way at least once a week for about ten years and it has never failed me yet.

[Mintyy]

It does need to be rinsed first.

Measure the rice in a mug (I use a builder's type mug full for two adults and two children). Put it in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. You don't need to soak it.

Boil kettle. Use the same mug to measure two mugfuls of boiling water into a large pan with a little salt (you need a bigger pan than you think, like pasta). Bring back to boil. Tip rice in, stir. Put lid on. Reduce heat and cook on steady simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has gone. You need to keep an eye on it. Allow to stand for 2 to 3 mins. Fluff with fork.

Basmati rice takes less time to cook than long grain rice or brown rice, maybe that's why you are ending up with mush? Or perhaps you are using too much water.

[Madamecastafiore]

One cup of rice to two of water, in saucepan, bring to boil, switch off heat, cover with lid, wait 20 minutes and ta da, perfect rice.

[Fishandjam]

And don't stir it while it's cooking! Or you break up the grains and get rice sludge.

[Madamecastafiore]

You're not actually allowed to even glance at it whilst it is doing its bizz. I would go so far as to say ignore it completely!

[BunnyValentine]

Read the instructions on the packet, follow them exactly to the letter.

It sounds like you are either cooking it too long, or cooking it with boiling water to start with instead of cold water.

In brief you should rinse the rice first and put it in the pan with the appropriate amount of COLD not boiling water. The pan should have a tight fitting lid.

The most important thing is to not even think about it until the allotted time is up. no peeking, no stirring, no nothin!

[DewDr0p]

I don't rinse. I agree you musn't stir too much.

What I do is:

• twice volume of water (from freshly boiled kettle) to rice
  
• 5mins in microwave on high
  
• stir v gently and briefly with a metal fork
  
• 5 more mins on high in microwave
  
• remove and place tea towel over the bowl
  
• leave 5-10mins
  
• fluff up with a fork and serve
  

Always works.

[Rockinhippy]

I don't rinse either, not unless bulk buying in those large sacks, think they use talc in those, doesn't harm not to rinse away but tastes better if you do, I find the normal supermarket bought stuff is fine without rinsing.

I agree with not touching/stirring it though, just leave it sealed up in its lidded bowl & let the steam do its job :)

[Startail]

I just boil it in lots of water and drain, never got the point of complicated rice cooking.

[ihearsounds]

If I am doing plain rice, I boil kettle, put pan on heat (my kettle is one of those quick boiling ones), add however many cups of rice I need. Add double amount of boiling water. Quick stir to stop rice from sticking. Wait for water to boil. Pop on lid. Reduce heat to lowest and forget about it for about 20 minutes.

[rootypig]

Er here is my lazy girl method. Don't rinse, just sling it in a pot with a lot of boiling water, cook until just done, drain and then leave to steam in the colander until nice and dry. Just a few minutes. I usually cover with a pan lid (a too big one, so as not to squash it).

[rootypig]

oh yes, don't stir. so lazy I didn't even consider that

[MrsJohnDeere]

I never rinse

[Saltire]

It was a success. I soaked it for 10 minutes then rinsed. Then added the cup of rice to the pan with 2 cups of cold water. rought to boil, simmered for 5 then switched off and left it.
Not mushy at all

[BunnyValentine]

Excellent! Can't believe all the people who cook it in boiling water, I never have!

Also, the rinsing thing is to help wash away (amongst other things) the sort of bacteria that comes from not washing hands after a poo which may have made its way in there, full hygiene practices won't always be used during handling in the factories where products like rice are produced. It's a natural product (as opposed to pasta) so it has had far more handling than machine-made products.

Can't believe all the people who don't rinse either! It's for your own good!

[Rockinhippy]

Glad to see you sussed it out Saltire :)

sorry Bunny but its for my own good that I don't do any more cooking steps than is absolutely necessary - medical reasons mean I am very prone to food poisoning, so i dont mess around with food hygene, but in over 30 years of cooking most rice without rinsing, I have never been ill from it, it really isn't necessary

[sashh]

I rinse, not sure if you need to for basmati but ex housemate was Chinese and blanched at the thought of unrinced rice.

Put it in a fine(ish) sieve and swirl cold water, not a gush just a gentle flow from the tap, use one hand to swirl the rice and keep going until the water is clear - the cloudy stuff you rinse of is starch.

Then I use 1/3 rice and 2/3 water, bring to the boil put on the lowest with a lid on and 15 mins later nice fluffy rice.

[Xiaoxiong]

I thought the rinsing was to get rid of the excess starchy dust - so when you rinse the rice turns out fluffy with more individual grains and not mushy. (That's what they say in China anyway.)

I do pretty much the same as Mintyy except I wrap a tea towel round the lid when I put it on for the 12 min simmer - also for fluffier rice

[Rockinhippy]

interesting sashh - I used to work with a Hong Kong Chinese girl & it was her that told me no real need with the supermarket bought stuff - her family owned a chain of takeaways & restaurants too - though she did say that they always washed rice there as they bought in bulk sacks, which she reckoned did need washing for various reasons

[rootypig]

Bunny if the issue is bacteria, surely the ten mins of boiling water is far more effective than a rinse?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

1. Get plenty of water boiling with a pinch of salt
   
2. Tip in the rice and return to the boil
   
3. Set timer for 10 minutes, turn down heat and put on a lid
   
4. Once time is up shoot entire pan contents through a seive.
   

Done...