How to Cook Brown Basmati Rice

Brown basmati rice is a rice variety originating from India, long grain and fragrant, still grown and eaten popularly in India today. As a member of the brown rice group, basmati rice is very good and can be used with many different dishes. You can also add some ingredients to basmati rice when you cook it. The following article will guide you through the basic cooking methods for this special rice, such as boiling, steaming or cooking in a pressure cooker.

Table of Contents

Ingredient

Brown basmati rice

Finished product: 6 cups

2 cups (470ml) brown basmati rice
2.5 – 3 cups (600 – 700ml) of water
1 teaspoon (5ml) salt

Wash brown basmati rice

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Put the rice in cold water to rinse. Measure out 2 cups (470ml) of brown basmati rice and pour into a medium sized bowl of cold water. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Washing rice. Use your hands to knead the rice back and forth until the water is cloudy and foam appears at the water’s edge. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Although washing the rice can strip away nutrients, basmati rice is usually imported and has been treated with talc, glucose and rice flour. Therefore, knowledgeable people will recommend washing the rice.
Washing the rice also helps to remove some of the starch, making the rice less sticky. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Drain the water after washing the rice. Strain all the water through the rice basket or tilt the bowl to drain all the water. You can place a plate over the bowl to prevent the rice from spilling as you drain the water. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Wash the rice again. Add cold water to the bowl and repeat this process until the water is clear. You may have to wash the rice up to 10 times to get it clean. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Once the water is clear, set the rice bowl aside.

Pour cold water over the washed rice. Add 2.5 cups (600ml) of cold water to the washed rice and soak for 30 minutes to 24 hours depending on the cooking method and how long you want to cook. The longer you soak, the shorter the cooking time.

Also, basmati rice is famous for its fatty taste that can be lost during cooking. Soaking rice helps to reduce cooking time, so the aroma of rice will be better preserved. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
Soaking rice also improves the texture of the rice grain, making it softer and lighter in color. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Drain the water after washing the rice. Use a basket to drain excess water that is not absorbed by the rice.

You can also use a sieve, but the hole must be very small so that the rice does not pass through the sieve when draining.

Boiled brown basmati rice

Prepare water. Pour 2.5 cups (600ml) of water into a medium sized saucepan with a lid.

In order for the rice to cook evenly, the pot must have a tight lid to prevent heat and steam from escaping. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Make sure not to use a pot that is too small as the rice will triple in size once it’s cooked. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Then, add about 1 teaspoon (5ml) of salt to the water. Just like noodles, salt is used to enhance the natural aroma of rice. The purpose of adding salt is not to give the rice a salty taste. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Add other seasonings if you want the rice to have a taste other than salty.

Mix rice with water. Pour 2 cups (470ml) of washed and soaked basmati rice into the pot and use a spatula to mix the rice with the water. ^{[11] X Research Source}

This is the only time you have to mix the rice during the cooking process. Stirring while cooking will activate the starch and make the rice stickier. ^{[12] X Research Sources}^{[13] X Research Sources}

Bring the rice cooker to a boil, then maintain the heat to a simmer. Turn on the stove on high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and let the rice simmer for 15-40 minutes until all the water has soaked into the rice. ^{[14] X Research Source}^{[15] X Research Source}

The difference in cooking time mainly depends on how long you soak the rice.
If you soak the rice for 30 minutes, the cooking time will be close to 40 minutes. If you soak the rice overnight, the cooking time will be close to 15 minutes.
It is important that you reduce the heat and let it simmer after the water has boiled. Rice that is cooked too quickly with high heat will harden because the water has evaporated. The inner core of the rice grain will also be broken. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Check to see if the rice is cooked. Quickly open the lid and use a fork to scoop out some rice. Immediately close the lid. If the rice is soft and the water is completely absorbed, the rice is cooked. Otherwise, you need to cook for another 2-4 minutes.

You may have to add more water if the rice is not tender but the water has absorbed it. Add water slowly to ¼ cup (60ml) of water.

Lift the pot off the stove and cover it with a towel. After cooking is complete, remove the pot from the heat and open the lid. Fold the towel over and cover the pot, and quickly close the lid. ^{[17] X Research Source}

The towel will help cook the rice and make it more fluffy. It also absorbs excess steam so that it doesn’t drip back onto the rice. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Let the rice cooker close the lid for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time, if you open the lid the steam will come out and the rice will not cook completely. ^{[19] X Research Source}^{[20] X Research Source}

Open the lid with the towel and stir the rice. Use a fork to stir the rice in the pot. Leave the rice cooker open for a few minutes for the rice to drain. ^{[21] X Research Sources}^{[22] X Research Sources}

The purpose of turning the rice is to let the remaining steam escape and the rice grains to drain.

Cook brown basmati rice in a rice cooker

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Read the instruction manual carefully. There are many types of rice cookers on the market, and they don’t work the same way or have the same features.

For example, some pots have both white rice and brown rice cooking modes. Others have only one of these two modes.

Mix water and rice together. Use a wooden spoon or rice spatula to mix 2 cups (470ml) of brown basmati rice with 3 cups (700ml) of water in the small inner pot of the rice cooker. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Many rice cookers are sold with measuring cups for rice. However, they are usually only 3/4 of a standard cup.
Do not use metal utensils to mix or stir the rice as they can damage the non-stick coating of the small pot.

Close the lid and start cooking rice. Normally rice cookers have two modes – cook and warm – now you will choose the cooking mode. This mode will boil water very quickly.

After the rice has absorbed all the water, the temperature will pass the boiling point of water (100˚C/212˚F). At this time, the rice cooker will automatically switch to the warming mode.
This time is usually about 30 minutes.
Warm mode will keep the rice at the right temperature to eat until you turn off the power.

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Do not open the lid during cooking. As with the boiling method, do not open the lid during cooking so hot steam does not escape. ^{[24] X Research Source}

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Let the rice rest in the pot. After the pot switches to warming mode, do not open the lid and wait about 5-10 minutes for the rice to cook. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Open the pot lid and stir the rice. Carefully open the lid and keep your face out so that hot steam doesn’t get into your face. Use a wooden spoon or rice spatula to stir the rice. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

Scoop the rice into a bowl. You can eat the rice now or store it in the refrigerator.

If storing in the refrigerator, put the rice in a bowl and cover with cling film or a lid. Rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Do not leave the rice outside for more than two hours before placing it in the refrigerator.
If storing rice in the freezer, put the rice in a zippered bag. Thaw the rice in the bag by placing it in the refrigerator and leaving it overnight. ^{[27] X Research Source}

Cook brown basmati rice in a pressure cooker

Mix water, rice and salt. Mix 2 cups (470ml) of brown basmati rice, 2.5 cups (600ml) of water and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of salt in a pressure cooker, turn on the power and switch to medium or high heat. ^{[28] X Research Sources}^{[29] X Research Sources}

Close the lid tightly. Start timing when the pressure cooker reaches high pressure. ^{[30] X Research Sources}^{[31] X Research Sources}

Many pots have a valve to warn you when the pressure in the pot reaches a high level.
Pots using spring valves have metal rods pushed up; the pot with a shaker valve will vibrate slowly at first and gradually increase; The pot has a weight control valve that will whistle when it jumps up and down. ^{[32] X Research Source}

Things you need

Brown basmati rice :

Medium mixing bowl
Medium-sized pot with tight-fitting lid
Dry measuring cup, liquid measuring cup, and spoon
Big spoon
Fork
Kitchen towels
Electric cooker
Pressure cooker
Heat resistant gloves
Non-stick rice spatula (optional)

Advice

Consider using brown basmati rice instead of regular white basmati rice when making Jeera rice