Plain Steamed Basmati Rice
Comforting Plain Steamed Basmati Rice. An easy-prep Pan-Indian rice dish for comfort meals, light dinners, or everyday thalis.
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50 mintotal
20 min hands-on30 min hands-off
Prep 5 min · Cook 15 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- None
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Includes soaking time.
Method
Drain the soaked basmati rice completely using a colander.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, add the measured cooking water, a pinch of salt, and a dash of ghee or oil. Bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
Gently stir the drained rice into the boiling water. Let it boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes without a lid.
2–3 min
Once the water level drops to just slightly above the rice, lower the heat to the absolute minimum. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
Cook undisturbed for exactly 10 minutes. Do not open the lid to check, as steam is crucial for cooking.
10 min
Turn off the heat and let the pot rest untouched for another 5-7 minutes.
5–7 min
Open the lid and gently fluff the rice using a fork, starting from the edges, to separate the grains.
How to tell it's done
Extra-long, distinct, and snow-white grains that are tender to the bite but completely separate.
Nutrition
Per serving, from 2 servings.
365kcal
Where the calories come from
- Protein7.1 g8%
- Carbohydrate80 g90%
- Fat0.7 g2%
- Sugars
- 0.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.2 g
- Fibre
- 1.3 g
- Sodium
- 300 mg
- Potassium
- 115 mg
- Calcium
- 48 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.
Getting it right
Tip
Never stir the rice roughly while it is boiling; soaked basmati grains are fragile and snap in half.
What to serve it with
A plain, versatile base for any Indian meal. Serve it hot with classic dal tadka, paneer butter masala or mutton rogan josh.
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