How to Cook Basmati Rice

Cooking fluffy basmati rice in a small pot on the stovetop is easy.

This aromatic, thin, and long-grain rice variety is an excellent side dish for most meals.

Try basmati rice with lentil curry, chickpea curry, mujaddara, or chickpea stew.

Basmati rice is a thin, long-grain, aromatic rice widely used in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

We think you’ll love it served as a side dish in recipes such as lentil curry, chickpea curry, spinach stew, chana saag, and dal.

But you can also use it to make a meal, such as lentils and rice mujadara (one of our reader’s favorite recipes ever), Mexican rice, Biryani, and stuffed bell peppers.

There seems to be a constant debate online on how to cook basmati rice on the stovetop, but the answer is simple.

You can pick one of two cooking methods: absorption or immersion.

ABSORPTION: The rice is cooked in a small amount of water until it absorbs it.

IMMERSION: The rice is boiled in plenty of water and drained, like pasta.

Both methods are excellent, so pick the one you are most comfortable with, or try both and decide which one you like the most.

We eat rice often, and in our home, we use the immersion or boiling method most of the time.

We find it faster, and for us, it yields more consistent results across different basmati rice brands.

RATIOS: 1 cup basmati rice to 1.5 cups water.

NOTE: Rinsing the rice is optional. We noticed no difference in texture/fluffiness in our tests. If you buy white basmati rice from the supermarket, there’s no need to rinse it.

Add 1.5 cups cold water, 1 cup basmati rice, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a saucepan.

Bring to a boil on high heat without a lid.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 12 minutes (set an alarm and don’t lift the lid).

Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and remove from the pot.

Tip: You can add 4 cardamom seeds, 2 bay leaves, or a small stick of cinnamon for aroma.

RATIOS: 1 cup rice to 6 cups water.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil.

Add 1 cup of basmati rice and one teaspoon of salt.

Boil for 10 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked. If not, keep cooking it until it is.

Drain the rice in a fine mesh sift, then place the sift over the pot, let it drain, and steam off for 3 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, transfer to bowl/container, and serve.

How to cook whole grain basmati rice

For whole-grain basmati rice, you need to use the immersion method.

RATIOS: 1 cup whole-grain basmati rice to 8 cups water.

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.

Add 1 cup of whole-grain basmati rice and one teaspoon of salt.

Boil as per package instructions, usually around 30 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked. If not, keep cooking it until it is.

Drain the rice in a fine mesh sift, then place the sift over the pot, let it drain, and steam off for 3 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and serve.

RICE SERVED AS A SIDE DISH: Lentil curry, creamy dal, vegetable curry, chana masala, vegan curry, tofu curry, moong dal, chana dal, navratan korma and many other curries and Indian-inspired recipes.

HOW TOs: how to cook chickpeas, how to cook lentils, how to cook black beans, how to cook couscous, how to cook quinoa, how to cook barley.

30-Min Meals

Dal – Creamy Split Lentils

Soups

Lentil Curry

30-Min Meals

Chana Masala

Mains

Chickpea Curry

Not long ago, Louise and I attended a cooking class in Berlin, Germany, organized by an Indian woman, Divia.

She grew up in India eating Indian food cooked by her mom.

As she moved abroad she missed homecooked meals, so she started reconnecting with distant flavors and culture through cooking.

It was one of the best cooking classes we’ve ever attended because Divia was passionate about Indian food and traditions and shared that passion with us.

What stuck with me was that she got her mom to send her Indian spices such as garam masala (which she kindly gifted us) and Indian basmati rice.

I had to ask why.

Basmati rice, she explained, is very different in India. The rice is not polished, and it has a yellowish-off-white color. She showed us.

Also, the rice is aged. This gives the rice an aroma and texture. From what I understood, a more aged rice is better rice.

I had no idea. She explained further.

This is why we rinse the rice and soak it beforehand. She said. Rinsing clears excess starch, dust, impurities, and dirt; soaking allows the rice to cook faster and improves its texture.

If you buy supermarket basmati rice – which has been already over-polished by the manufacturer – there is absolutely no need to rinse it, let alone soak it.

Refrigerator: Let the rice cool down, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

Freezer: It’s best to freeze the rice in an airtight container in single portions.

Thaw: Defrost and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes.