How To Cook Basmati Rice

About this stove top basmati rice recipe:

If you ever wanted to know how to cook basmati rice that comes out fluffy and delicious then you are in the right place. It does not need to be complicated and it is actually quite easy when you follow the basic concept of using the right ratio of water to rice.

Many people begin following the instructions on the packages of rice that they purchase when they make it at home and those ratios are all wrong.

I will show you how to make the perfect pot of basmati rice and the correct ratio of water to rice to use so you end up with fluffy and delicious rice every time.

This basmati rice goes so well with so many dishes so it is a great recipe to know how to make. We love serving this rice with Cuban ropa vieja, Mexican barbacoa and so many other meals that we have listed below.

Ingredients to make basmati rice

• Long grain rice. I always use basmati because it will produce delicious fluffy rice. If the recipe you are using calls for short grain rice you can still follow these steps to make rice.
• Water
• Butter
• Kosher salt

Notes about the ingredients

I always use basmati rice because basmati rice is a long grain rice and long grain rice tends to be less starchy which in turn produces a fluffier rice. Sometimes short grain rice is called for in recipes because it will have that extra starch.

For most recipes, long grain basmati works the best. It should definitely be your go to rice over all others.

This recipe also calls for butter and not oil. You can use oil but it will stick more to the rice affecting how it cooks and in turn producing a less fluffy final product.

How to cook perfect basmati rice on the stovetop

• Step 1: The first thing you want to do is melt your butter in the sauce pan.
• Step 2: Next, measure out a full cup of rice.
• Step 3: Add the rice to the butter and stir it around to coat all the rice.
• Step 4: Now measure the correct ratio of water. For one cup of rice the amount of water you would add is 1 ¾ cups. I will explain the ratio in more detail below.
• Step 6: Add the water to the rice and stir. Then measure out your salt and add that to the rice then bring to a boil. Once the rice is boiling, reduce heat to low and place a lid on top until cooked through.

Tips for cooking the perfect rice:

As I mentioned earlier, cooking the perfect fluffy rice is all about the perfect ratio of water to rice. This recipe for cooked basmati rice is for 1 cup of rice.

The perfect ratio of rice to water when making rice-

All rice cooks at an almost double the amount of water to rice ratio. Almost is the keyword!

To achieve the perfect fluffy rice, you will want to use a little less than half of the water needed.

To make a half cup of rice: When cooking half a cup of rice you would double the water except not fully. To make fluffy rice you would add a little more than ¾ cups of water, not one cup.

This is where many people go wrong, by adding the fully doubled amount of water and the rice does not turn out well.

To make one cup of rice: You would double this ratio, 1 cup of water plus ¾ cup of water which equals 1 ¾ cups of water to one cup of rice.

If you remember the ratio for ½ cup of rice needs just a little more than ¾ cups of water then you can always add upwards. I do not think that anyone needs to make less than ½ a cup of rice so these two examples should answer most questions. 🙂

If this is confusing you can always bookmark this page and come back to it when you need to!

How to make extra fluffy rice

While it is not necessary, if you want extra fluffy rice, you can rinse the uncooked rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Once it is rinsed, give the colander a little shake and let it sit for about 5 minutes to fully drain and dry out.

Proceed with the recipe after this step.

What to serve with basmati rice:

• Chinese Chicken
• Weeknight Korean Beef
• Chicken Satay without the Skewers
• Asian Pork Meatballs
• Pulled Pork Rice Bowl
• Amazing Fajitas from Leftovers
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• The Best Juicy Boneless Pork Chops
• Kofta Meatballs
• Blackened Chicken
• Southwest Chicken Bowl
• Black Beans Recipe (Cuban style black beans)
• Thai Chicken and Basil Stir Fry