Perfect Basmati Rice (Pakistani Recipe)

A freshly cooked pot of basmati rice garnished with cilantro is ready to serve.

Nosheen Babar

Perfect basmati rice (Pakistani recipe) teaches how to cook rice using a traditional Pakistani stovetop method, as taught by my grandmother.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Steam Time 15

Total Time 40

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Servings people

Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups rice
▢ 3 cups water
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil (see notes)

Instructions

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, and soak it for 15 minutes.
Throw the water the rice has been soaking in and put the rice, 3 cups of water, and salt in a cooking pot.
Cook on high till the rice has absorbed all but about ¼ cup of water.
Reduce your heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot with foil, sealing tightly around the edges, and cover with the lid. (see notes)
After 15 minutes turn your stove off, remove the foil carefully as the steam that's released can cause burns, drizzle the cooking oil, and fluff your rice with a fork

Notes

Olive oil—I like to finish the rice with olive oil to help keep the grains separate. Butter or ghee can also be used, depending on preference.

Steaming the rice - This is the most essential step if you want perfect rice. The rice must be steamed on very low heat. If you're cooking on an electric stove or your gas burner seems too high even at its lowest setting, place a flat griddle over your burner and then place the pot on top of this to prevent the rice from getting burnt at the bottom.

Stovetop vs Instant Pot- While I've provided instructions for an Instant Pot method of cooking Basmati Rice above, it's not recommended OR my favorite. Yes, it does shave off 20 minutes, but the results aren't as good. The reason is that the best pot for cooking rice is wide, shallow, and heavy-bottomed. The Instant Pot is the exact opposite. It's tall, deep, and light at the bottom. This makes the rice clump together, so you don't get that perfect fluffy, long, long-grained texture that Basmati is famous for.

Nutrition

Serving: 1personCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 7gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 595mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

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