How to make basmati rice like they do in Indian restaurants? It is very simple to make and the rice cooks in less than 30 minutes. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

How Do You Make Basmati Rice Like They do in Indian Restaurants? It is Very Simple to Make and the Rice Cooks in Less than 30 Minutes.

I am a basmati rice snob and connoisseur. Everything about basmati rice makes me happy and the perfectly cooked rice is not very hard to do.

One of the best things about Indian restaurants is free rice

I haven’t been to an Indian restaurant in the US that doesn’t serve free rice with your main course meals

Indian Restaurant-Style Rice

What is Basmati rice?

Basmati Rice is a variety of long-grained rice that is traditionally served with Indian food. It has pointy ends and a nuttier flavor than traditional white rice.

Ever wonder why they serve free rice? I was given 2 reasons for it:

The first reason is that they are made in bulk, so, it costs them about $1 per day to make the rice. For this reason, they can give it away for free.

The second reason is probably a better reason.. Restaurants think that if they give you free rice, you will eat more entrees. Since entrees are where they make the most of their profit, it is a fruitful tactic.

So, the next time you are looking to make easy dinner recipes, try this basmati rice technique. Also, if you have a rice pudding recipe, use this method of cooking rice. Your pudding will turn out nice and soft.

Serve it with my palak makhani recipe.

After seeing these steps you will never have to wonder, “How to make basmati rice?”

How To Make Basmati Rice Without Cooker

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to cook basmati rice Indian style.

1) For this recipe, I am going to use 1 cup of basmati rice. It usually serves 2-3 people

2) First, we need to wash/rinse the rice. In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of Basmati rice. Place the pan under your kitchen tap and fill it with water. There is no measurement for this because we are rinsing the rice. I like to fill it about halfway through.

3) Using your fingers, gently stir the rice and water. You will notice that the water will get cloudy. That is a good thing. It means that the rice was packaged right after harvesting. Tilt the pan and remove as much of the water as you can. It’s ok to leave some water in it.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 again. Personally, I like to rinse it the rice three times, but, two times is sufficient

5) Once rinsed, we now add water that will be used for cooking the rice. The general ratio rule is 1:5. For every cup of rice, add 5 cups of water.

6) Place the pan on high heat. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ghee or oil.

7) Stir frequently so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. I like to use a fork to stir because it fluffs the rice.

8) When the rice grains have doubled in size (about 15-20 min), your rice is ready to be taken off the heat.

9) Next comes the removal of excess water. I like to use a nylon strainer because it catches all the rice. If you don’t have it, use a colander or any strainer with holes that are tiny.

10) Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with curry or other meals

So, this is how to make basmati rice. It’s a very quick, easy and fluffy way to make it for dinner

If you are using (affiliate link) Saffron, check out how I made my Saffron Rice Recipe using this basmati rice.

Learn more about Basmati Rice on Wikipedia.