Basmati rice - can I have your absolute fool-proof techniques please?

[bibbitybobbityhat]

And, does it need washing before cooking?

tia

Ok - mine is as follows:

Once cup of rice, two cups of water - bring to boil then simmer slowly for about 8 mins and then leave to steam for a few mins with the lid on.

Alternatively - one cup of rice, two cups of water and then in the microwave for 8 1/2 minutes.

I don't bother rinsing as have never noticed a difference.

Forgot to add - you need to cover it in the microwave - just loosely rest the lid on the container.

I rinse thoroughly and leave to drain for a good while in a sieve.

Similar as DrS, 1 cup rice, 2 cups cold water, some salt if you want. Bring to the boil, stir, simmer for about 5 minutes probably, switch off heat, do not open lid, leave in it's own steam for 10-15 mins.

Or I buy quick cook basmati sometime, it's very easy!

I never wash it.
This is what I do.
Put the pan ring on and put a full kettle of water on to boil.
Put the rice in the pan with a pinch of salt and a knob of butter NOT MARGERINE. Leave pan on bench.
When kettle boils, pour loads of water over the rice and put it on the heat. Stir it round a few times to stop clumping, then turn heat down until the water is just bubbling.
Have a look after 5 minutes and give it a quick stir round, but don't go mad with stirring.
Give it another 5 mins or so
Then I drain it in a big sieve.
Perfect rice every time.

I don't usually wash it. I put it in a dish in the microwave with enough water to cover, and cook it for three mins at a time, stirring at the end of each three mins and adding more water as needed. Very unscientific - I never measure quantities etc, just use the 'when it's done it's done' system! If you get to a point where it's nearly done, but not quite and you don't want to add more water, just cook for one minute at a time til it's ready.

Also, once it's done leave it to stand with a folded teatowel over the dish which will give it a bit of a steam an fluff it up a bit until you're ready to serve it.

Wow, sounds much more complicated than it actually is! As a veteran pan-burner, I find that this way is cheaper than regularly replacing my cookware

I use Tilda Basmati, and do not wash it (to the horror of all DP's Asian side of the family)

Measure by volume, add twice the amount of boiling water to rice, plus an extra splash, add a knob of butter and bring to boil. Boil v gently until it looks like a wet porridge, then put in a tightly fitting lid, remove from heat and cover with a towel to keep heat in. Leave fo 15 mons or so, then check. If the rice is still a bit hard in the centre, but water dried up, add a splash of boiling water and reboil over gentle heat for a few mins, If it is watery and soggy, boil with lid off for a few mins.

Fluff up with fork.

Better to leave it on the dry side and add water later, than make it all soggy and overcooked with too mmuch water.

The Delia technique - heat a bit of oil in the pan. Stir in the dry, unrinced rice and coat it in the oil. This seals in the starchy stuff and stops it getting sticky. Then - whatever volume of rice you've used, add twice the amount of water/stock. Cover, bring to boil, then simmer until you can see there is no more liquid (10-15 mins?). Turn heat off and let it sit there with the lid on for 5-10 minutes.

I've got one of these microwave rice steamers

Cooks perfect rice every time - all types of rice.

I don't ever wash it though.

My way of doing it:

1 cup of rice in the saucepan. Add some oil - vegetable oil works fine for me - mix the rice until it is coated in the oil

Add two cups of water to the pan

Put on medium heat and cook without lid until you see holes appearing in the rice. Then put the lid on with the heat for 40 secs or so to allow steam to build up in the saucepan. Then turn the heat right off.

Leave for 10 mins, take lid off, gently stir, put lid back on for another 5 mins - perfect rice - a little knob of ghee placed on top of the rice and gently stirred in also give a nice depth

My easy way (well I think it is)

Think for every 250g (8oz if you're old like me) of rice, you need 1 pint of water.

Turn oven on to 150 deg C.

Rinse rice under cold tap.

Put in saucepan.

stir.

Add water from kettle just boiled.

Bring to boil with lid on

Stick in oven for 12- 14 mins

Easy peasy.

I rinse my rice first whilst the kettle is boiling.
Then put the rice in a pan.
Pour the boiling water over the rice to just cover it.
Bring to the boil in the pan.
Turn down to a simmer and cover.
Check after 10mins and if it's absorbing the water well turn the hob off but leave the lid on to retain the heat.

NEVER STIR!! IME it's the stirring that releases the starch that makes it lumpy rather than fluffy grains.

good luck (it took me 20 years to work this out )

I do what DrSpechemin does. I used to wash it first, but forgot one day and noticed no difference.

I always wash it in a few changes of water. If time, leave to soak for 20-30 minutes, but not essential.

Add cold water about an inch higher than the rice. Bring to boil, then simmer very gently until cooked.

All the water should absorb, but I can't be bothered measuring water, so I sometimes have a little bit to be drained off in a colander.

One cup of rice and two cups of cold water plus salt.

Put it in a pan with a lid, and heat with the lowest gas possible until there are dimples in the rice. Then turn of the heat and allow it to absorb the final liquid for 5 - 10 minutes.

Good lord! Washing, steaming, sealing, folded tea-towels - what a load of faffing about.

I just chuck it in a pan of boiling water, stir once or twice, then drain it when it seems the right softness.

Never had a problem!

the 'easy cook' basmati rice works for me every time. follow instructions on packet, bob's your uncle!

Draining? What a faff!
You see the other methods do not involve draining - or washing the drainer- and any cooked rice that needs draining is wet and horrid!

i do mmeredwhiteandbluberry's thing. best with a glass-lidded pot, i find.

1 part rice to 2 parts cold water
Bring to the boil and add a bit of salt and butter, stir
Put the lid on (and do not remove until the rice is done)
Boil for 12 mins
Turn heat off after 12 mins but do not remove lid
Leave for another 10 mins
Then perfect rice!

Works every time for me

I can now cook perfect rice having been told how to by a chef . Bring pan full of water to rolling boil, add rice (as much as you need) and boil gently for around 15 mins (I just taste to see if it's cooked properly). Drain in colander and then run under cold water - needs loads of rinsing - this washes starch off. Leave to drain. You can then reheat when you need it either in micro or by pouring boiling water over it (it takes a few kettles-full, I find micro best). Makes non-sticky, fluffy rice each and every time!

I do 1 cup rice (kids plastic drinking cup) to 1 and a half cups of water. Enough for 2 adults.

Bring to boil on gas hob in a small round le crueset casserole pot with the lid on.

Once boiling turn gas down to the very lowest setting, and cook v gently for 10 mins. DO NOT open the lid whilst it is cooking. Just leave it alone

After 10 mins, lift lid, if it still looks a bit wet/claggy when you fluff it with a fork, put the lid back on and leave it to steam (with the gas off) for a couple of mins. ALL the water should be absorbed.

It should work a treat. I never wash the rice or add oil or salt to it.

Ahh, but Blu I have an induction hob, which is mega-fierce, and anything which is allowed to boil dry (or even dry-ish) turns into a burnt nightmare within seconds.

But I do have a marvellous invention called a dishwasher, which magically makes my strainer clean again!

And as I have a dishwasher I never seem to find a use for teatowels!!!

Sunchild - what colour should the le Creuset be, for best results?

DeppWannabe - oh, goodness, for induction hobbs and dishwashers, do whatever you find works, and a good spoonful of oily lime pickle dolloped on top will mask any disaster.

Lime pickle - eeww! Tastes like Fairy Liquid to me, I'm afraid.

DeppWILLbe, I think you'll find.