How To Cook (White Basmati) Rice

Cooking basmati rice has always been a particular skill of the chief taster. He is very specific about his technique and has a long-standing argument over it with one of his oldest friends. All I can say is that the chief taster’s method is a favourite of our two children. Somehow or other it’s never quite as good when I make it…

Tips for cooking rice:

  1. Always measure rice by volume rather than weight… you will need double the volume of liquid.
  2. Use the biggest saucepan you can find, the wider the rice is spread the better.
  3. You don’t need to wash white rice – it has already been milled, polished etc. You don’t want to take away any more nutrients than necessary.

Vegetarian saffron pilaf, or stuffing for lamb or turkey

You can make an interesting saffron pilaf/stuffing by substituting the turmeric for a generous amount of saffron (about 150 threads) soaked in about ¼ cup/60 ml boiling water; 3 tbsps chopped nuts (ideally pistachios); 3 tbsps raisins soaked in Earl Grey tea; and 6-7 green cardomom pods, cracked in a pestle and mortar.

How to store leftover rice

Most people know that you have to be particularly careful about storing rice. When it cools down the spores of the bacteria, bacillus cereus, can begin to grow and this bacteria can produce a toxin which may result in food poisoning, especially if the rice is left out in the kitchen at room temperature. Once it begins to germinate it cannot be killed by any amount of heat.

The thing to do is to cool the rice quickly by rinsing with cold water, draining well, and then putting it immediately into the fridge. Use within a maximum two days.

This post is dedicated to the long-suffering Saucy Dressings’ chief taster whose method this is.

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