Basmati Rice

There is a ton of valuable rice cooking information here from Maureen.

My Basmati Rice:

Place 3 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Add one tablespoon butter and two cups Basmati rice.

Heat until the water is boiling. Stir once. Then lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot.

Cook for 23 minutes with the lid slightly ajar.

Make sure the water is gone.

Serves four people, although the dog loves plain cooked rice too.

Add a sprinkle of Persian sumac spice if desired.



 

Maureen's Full Rice Tutorial:

"ALMOST" EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT RICE

Add a tablespoon of oil to the water when cooking rice so the grains stay separate and don't stick together.

To keep rice (especially brown rice) fresh longer, store it in the refrigerator. Brown rice should be stored at 55 degrees F. or lower.

Never stir rice while it cooks because it will crush the rice grains, releasing starch, and make the rice gummy.

Most foods take 3-4 hours to digest, white rice has such a low fiber content it only takes 1 hour to digest.

Microwavable rice costs almost $6.00 per pound. Bulk rice costs less than $0.50 per pound.

• 1 cup dry rice = approx. 7 oz. (wt.)
• 1 lb. dry rice = approx. 2 1/4 c. (vol.)
• 1 cup cooked rice = approx. 8 oz. (wt.)
• 1 lb. cooked rice = approx. 1 pt. (2 cups)

• 1 lb. dry rice yields about 6-7 cups cooked rice

How to Prepare Rice
American-grown rice is a clean product that does not need washing or rinsing before or after cooking. Most U.S. rice is enriched with iron, niacin, thiamin, and folic acid. Rinsing rice, or cooking rice in excess water and draining, results in loss of enrichment and other water-soluble vitamins and minerals.

For best results, always follow package directions. When directions are not available, use this easy chart:

Proportion & Yield

Rice
Parts liquid to 1 part rice (by volume)
Cooking time (minutes)

U.S. arborio
4½
20 - 30

U.S. basmati
1¾
20 - 25

U.S. jasmine
1¾
20 - 25

Brown, long grain
2¼
40 - 45

Parboiled
2
25 - 30

White, long grain
1¾
18 - 20

White, medium grain
1½
20 - 30

White, short grain
1½
20 - 30

Top of the Range: Combine 1 cup rice, liquid (see chart), 1 teaspoon salt (optional), and 1tablespoon. butter or margarine (optional) in 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling; stir once or twice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer. Cook according to time specified on chart. If rice is not quite tender or liquid is not absorbed, replace lid and cook 2 to 4 minutes longer. Fluff with fork.

Other Cooking Methods
In addition to cooking rice on top of the range, you can prepare it in a conventional oven, microwave oven, or rice cooker.

Conventional Oven: Cooking rice in the oven is an efficient use of energy when other foods are baking. Boiling liquid must be used to start the cooking process.

Combine 1 cup rice, liquid (see chart), 1 teaspoon salt (optional), and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (optional) in a baking dish or pan; stir. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes (30 to 40 minutes for parboiled; 1 hour for whole grain rice). Fluff with fork.

Dog waiting for rice to cook.