How Do You Make Basmati Rice Like They do in Indian Restaurants? It is Very Simple to Make and the Rice Cooks in Less than 30 Minutes.
I am a basmati rice snob and connoisseur. Everything about basmati rice makes me happy and the perfectly cooked rice is not very hard to do.
One of the best things about Indian restaurants is free rice
I haven’t been to an Indian restaurant in the US that doesn’t serve free rice with your main course meals
Indian Restaurant-Style Rice
What is Basmati rice?
Basmati Rice is a variety of long-grained rice that is traditionally served with Indian food. It has pointy ends and a nuttier flavor than traditional white rice.
It’s a long thin rice used in Indian cuisine that just happens to be so easy to cook. Some of the best Indian rice dishes are made better because of basmati rice.
Ever wonder why they serve free rice? I was given 2 reasons for it:
The first reason is that they are made in bulk, so, it costs them about $1 per day to make the rice. For this reason, they can give it away for free.
The second reason is probably a better reason. Restaurants think that if they give you free rice, you will eat more entrees. Since entrees are where they make the most of their profit, it is a fruitful tactic.
So, the next time you are looking to make easy dinner recipes, try this basmati rice technique. Also, if you have a rice pudding recipe, use this method of cooking rice. Your pudding will turn out nice and soft.
Serve it with my palak makhani recipe.
After seeing these steps you will never have to wonder, “How to make basmati rice?”
How To Make Basmati Rice Without Cooker
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to cook basmati rice Indian style.
1) For this recipe, I am going to use 1 cup of basmati rice. It usually serves 2-3 people
2) First, we need to wash/rinse the rice. In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of Basmati rice. Place the pan under your kitchen tap and fill it with water. There is no measurement for this because we are rinsing the rice. I like to fill it about halfway through.
3) Using your fingers, gently stir the rice and water. You will notice that the water will get cloudy. That is a good thing. It means that the rice was packaged right after harvesting. Tilt the pan and remove as much of the water as you can. It’s ok to leave some water in it.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 again. Personally, I like to rinse it the rice three times, but, two times is sufficient
5) Once rinsed, we now add water that will be used for cooking the rice. The general ratio rule is 1:5. For every cup of rice, add 5 cups of water.
6) Place the pan on high heat. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ghee or oil.
7) Stir frequently so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. I like to use a fork to stir because it fluffs the rice.
8) When the rice grains have doubled in size (about 15-20 min), your rice is ready to be taken off the heat.
9) Next comes the removal of excess water. I like to use a nylon strainer because it catches all the rice. If you don’t have it, use a colander or any strainer with holes that are tiny.
10) Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with curry or other meals
So, this is how to make basmati rice. It’s a very quick, easy and fluffy way to make it for dinner
If you are using (affiliate link) Saffron, check out how I made my Saffron Rice Recipe using this basmati rice.
Learn more about Basmati Rice on Wikipedia.
How To Make Basmati Rice (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
- 1 cups basmati rice
- 5 cups water to cook the rice
- 1 stick cinnamon cut into 3 small pieces
- 2 pieces cloves Optional
- 2 pieces cardamom pods opened with seeds still inside (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ghee Optional
- 2 strands of Saffron threads Optional, see notes
- water to rinse the rice
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, add 1 cup of Basmati rice
- Place the pan under your kitchen tap and fill it halfway with water
- Using your fingers, gently stir the rice and water.
- Tilt the pan and remove as much of the water as you can. It’s ok to leave some water in it.
- Repeat steps 2 to 4 two more times. The water will be less cloudy at the third time
- Once washed, we now add water that was set aside for cooking
- Place the pan on high heat.
- Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ghee or oil.
- Stir frequently so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom
- When the rice grains have doubled in size (about 15 min), turn off heat
- Using a strainer, strain the rice to remove excess water
- Use a fork to stir the rice in the strainer to make it fluffy
- Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy
5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice? I ended up with soup rice! Way too much water in this recipe.
You are supposed to strain the water AFTER it has cooked. See step #11 in the recipe card.
This recipe is spot on, so simple, and delicious.
Thank you so much, Cindy.
I tried making this Basmati rice and it’s definitely going into my regular rotation! I loved how fluffy my rice turned out and it smelled so good because of the spices! Can’t wait to try this again!
Thank you, Angela.
How long should I let it cook if using brown rice? The directions on brown rice says to let it cook 40 minutes. Should I let it cook the full 40 minutes or eyeball it until it doubles in size?
When in doubt, always follow the instrctions on the box. However, I always eyeball it too and make sure it’s done. Sometimes, brown rice cooks in 30 min. It depends on how much water you use and how high you keep the temp. For a 1 cup, I usually add about 8 cups of water and then cook on medium high for about 30-35min. Drain any excess water and mix with a fork to fluff the rice.
Suggestion: If you reduce your water:rice ratio to a 1 + 2 = 3 (Example: 1 cup rice + 2 cups water = 3 cups cooked rice) you will no have to drain the water. You will have to also incorporate covered pot with reduced heat. But no water is wasted.
Thank you for your suggestion, Christina. Just FYI, the water is not wasted, Christina. I use it in hair products and even to water plants. The reason I like to cook rice this way is because it makes each grain individual instead of lumping the rice together. The rice comes out fluffy.
Wow, that’s a simple and tasty recipe with basmati rice. But some varieties bvecome sticky if we over cook or if we cook in pressure cookers.
Thank you, Devi