absolutely foolproof way to cook lovely fluffy basmati rice - anyone?

[dandycandyjellybean]

basically sick to death of stodgy clumps of rice, baked on saucepans and boiled over stove mess....it must be possible....help?

A decent heavy bottom 10/80 steel pan with a lid that will vent some of the steam.

double water to rice - so if one cup rice then two of water. Put on high - should be around 3 minutes for 1 cup on a gas hob. Turn right down as low as it will go for 10 mins - set a timer. Then leave to steam for a further 10 minutes with the hob turned off. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Microfibre cloths are the business for getting off the riceness from the saucepan afterwards.

rinse really well and let it soak for about 30 mins. Cook it and then rinse after cooking in boiling water.

Always works for us.

put in microwaveable bowl.
add same amount of boiling water from kettle.
cook in microwave until just cooked, then put in a sieve/colander and rinse with cold water until the rice is cold.
Let it drain for 10 mins. then stick back in the microwave to heat up.

Basically the same as thirtypence - double water to rice, bring to boil then turn right down to lowest setting then leave it til the water has all absorbed (must keep lid on throughout) Fluff with fork.

Foolproof

I have a rice cooker, but when I have to use a saucepan I use the following method.

Wash the rice before you start to remove some of the excess starch.

Two cups of water for every one cup of rice.

In a nice solid pan bring to a fast boil, stir once, then cover with foil and put the lid on the pan to seal it. Turn the hob off but leave the pan sitting on it. After about 20 mins the rice will be nicely steamed.

If you have an induction hob then you might need to set the hob to low for 10 mins and then off for 10 mins as there won't be any residual heat in the hob.

Wash rice.

Boil for 5 mins.

Put in a sieve over water and steam for 10 mins.

Jamie Oliver way, works everytime.

Only basmati though. Tried it with other rice and it was shit.

I was crap at cooking rice for donkeys years until MIL told me this recipe.

For every 75g (per person) of basmati add 175ml boiling water, plus pinch sea salt, in a microwaveable bowl, cover with cling film, pierce the cling film, cook in Microwave on full for 10 mins. Put in a colander when done and then rinse with loads and loads of freshly boiled water.

This ends up with perfect rice all the time, you do not need to adjust the microwave time no matter how much rice you cook (I have cooked 1 x 75g up to 6 x 75g, 10 minutes cooking each time and it is lovely, fluffy rice). You don't need to wash it first but you do need to rinse at the end.

I agree with lulalullabye you def need to presoak it, then you don't need to faff about measuring and worry about amount of water. It should be washed tilt he water runs clear, soaked, then rinsed again before adding fresh water to boil it in. It's the starch that makes it clumpy.

I tried the pre-soaking method as copied from an Indian cookbook and I ended up with something I could have plastered the walls with. God knows what I did wrong!

Fist of all, make sure you are buying good quality Basmati rice (i.e anything but the vaue stuff)

Measure the rice using a cup. Add double the water to rice, so for one cup of rice use two cups of water. Bring it to the boil, then immediately turn heat to absolute lowest setting on smallest gas flame, put a lid on it, and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Works every time.

Do NOT stir the rice, at any time, once you've added the water. Stirring it releases the starch so giving you a gloopy mess.

ditto markstretch - except it works with other types of rice for me!

ministry of food by JO has it in there

there really isn't any need to presoak it or rinse it first.

fill the pot with a kettle full of boiling water, add a bit of salt (1/2 tsp), bring back to the boild, add about half a bag of rice (500g?), mix it up with a slotted spoon, leave to boil with the lid on until rice is tender when you taste, strain into a colandar, make sure as much water as possible drains out, put back in pot with the lid on and leave on the counter while you finish preparing the rest of the meal..... voila, yummy fluffy rice.

took me 7 years to get it right

Tilda is the best brand for fluffy basmati.

Presoaking is the way most indians do it I think, I learned it from dp who is gujarati.

thanks guys. there seems to be a variation on 2 basic methods; will try em both and see which works...ta!

rinse well and don't overcook it - never cook for as long as the packet says!

gotta be tilda, i agree. i just rinse mine and do it like pasta, tbh, it's always nice.

I read somewhere that Tilda is the only Basmati rice that can be guaranteed 100% basmati rice and that others have other types of rice grain mixed in with them...if this is correct, it probably explains why everyone likes Tilda the best.

Put into a pan of boiling water. Boil for two minutes. Meanwhile boil a fresh kettle of water. Drain rice and discard first water. Return to pan with new boiling water from kettle and finish cooking. I have found that this completely removes the excess starch whereas an initial rinse dosent.