Perfect Basmati rice

[bif]

http://cookingwiththemark.blogspot.com

Ingredients
Basmati rice
Water

Directions
Pour rice in a pot. Cover with water one knuckle deep over top of rice. (I know it sounds strange, but trust me on this.) Bring water to a boil, then turn to lowest setting, cover and simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Don't take the top off while cooking. After 15 minutes, turn off heat and let rice absorb remaining water for exactly 5 minutes. Then fluff up rice and serve.

(I'd post a picture, but rice just looks like, we'll, rice.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[auntAgonist]

1. That's exactly how my friend from Thailand taught me how to cook 'perfect' rice. It works!

Not only for Basmati but for Jasmine and other varieties as well.

aA

[bif]

2. Sorry about the typos

I fixed them on the blog.

[LancetChick]

3. That may work in your pot, but in won't in every pot.

The volume of water needs to be more accurate than that, and it's NOT the 2-2.5 cups of liquid per cup of rice that so many boxes recommend, it's 1.5 cups of liquid per cup of rice. The volume of water one knuckle deep will vary with the size of the pot.

My favorite way to make basmati rice is to sauté the dry rice and chopped onion in oil for about 10 minutes, then add salt and boiling water and steam for half an hour. On very low, you can let this cook for hours, and you'll eventually end up with some interesting crunchies when you fluff it. A very flexible side when you're not sure when everything should/will be ready.

The way I usually make basmati rice involves a little less work (like not chopping onions), and is what I learned from my Middle Eastern ex. Rinse the rice several times and soak in heavily salted water for an hour or longer. Toss into boiling salted water and boil for about 4 minutes. Drain. Pour oil and salt into the drained pot, then the rice and top with either oil or a few knobs of butter or margarine. Cover and steam for at least an hour to get "tah dig", the brown crunchy crust that forms at the bottom. Making good "tah dig" is a real art, and depends on the stove, the cookware, and the temperature, so it needs tweaking to get it just right.

[JayhawkSD]

5. Yes, this is the traditional southern method

I use 1.75 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Saute rice in tiny amount of oil, add water, bring to boil, cover, turn heat down to low simmer and wait 20 minutes. And, yes, not lifting the lid is critical

[surrealAmerican]

4. It's also really good ...

... if you toast it first. You get more flavor that way.