How to Cook Basmati Rice

Rinse it in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then soak it for twenty to thirty minutes and drain it well. Use about one and a half parts water to one part rice by volume — less than you would use for other rice, because the grain has already absorbed some during the soak. Bring it to the boil uncovered, then cover, turn the heat right down and leave it for ten to twelve minutes without lifting the lid. Rest it off the heat, still covered, for ten minutes, then separate the grains with a fork.

Roughly one and a half parts water to one part rice by volume, once the rice has been soaked. Unsoaked basmati needs closer to one and three-quarters. The two-to-one ratio people often use is what makes basmati come out heavy — and where the pack gives its own directions, follow those.

You do not have to, but it is the difference between good basmati and remarkable basmati. Soaking lets the grain take up water slowly so it lengthens rather than splits, which is the whole point of the variety. Twenty to thirty minutes is plenty; hours are not better.

To wash off loose surface starch left over from milling. That starch is what makes cooked rice claggy and makes grains stick together. Three or four changes of cold water, until the water runs more or less clear, is enough.

It is Hindi and Urdu for daily or everyday, and it names a range intended for regular cooking rather than for special occasions. The listing describes this one as an everyday basmati.

Elongation and aroma. A basmati grain roughly doubles in length as it cooks while staying slender, where ordinary long grain mostly just softens. Basmati also carries a distinctive smell that comes from the variety itself and is strongest as the lid comes off.

Yes. Matured grain holds less moisture, so it cooks drier and separates more readily, while new-crop rice can come out stickier. Most listings do not state how long the rice has been aged, so ask the store if it matters to you.

Around 71 at roughly 70g of dry rice a head, which is a normal main-meal portion. More if it is a side dish, fewer if rice is the centre of the plate.

Decant it into a sealed container rather than leaving it in the opened sack, and keep it somewhere cool, dry and out of direct light. Use a dry scoop each time — moisture introduced on a damp cup does more harm than age. Check the best-before date on the pack and on the listing.

At the current bag price of $12.00, that is about $0.17 a serving. Prices move, so take the bag price from the product page and divide it by the number of servings if you want to check it yourself.

Orders are dispatched by the store the next business day and typically arrive within 1 to 3 business days by courier. Enter your postcode at checkout to confirm delivery coverage for your address.

Free delivery applies on orders above $69 — the delivery fee is confirmed at checkout. There is no minimum order value.

Photograph it before opening anything further and contact the store the same day. Returns are handled by the store that sold the item, and nothing in a store's policy limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.