How to make Thai Jasmine Rice and Basmati Rice

All tips for preparing Thai rice, basmati rice and pilaf rice.

The rice is the cereal produced for food, more harvested from the world.

Although its origin is the subject of controversy between China and India, we can say that it is a fundamental part of human food today, and may be up to ¾ parts of the diet of populations in Southeast Asia.

The jasmine rice is a rice, a variety of thin, long and very fragrant very typical grain in Thailand, where it is known as khao hom mali .

This type of rice has, in turn, two types, white jasmine rice , which we can find in supermarkets on a regular basis, and black jasmine rice , more difficult to find outside of Thailand.

In this recipe we have relied on Thai Sundari rice that does not always give such a good result. Sometimes it is difficult to get the exact point of the rice, but by following these simple guidelines we can enjoy a jasmine rice at home in all its splendor.

For this we are going to do something similar to basmati rice . The first thing we should do is wash the rice until clean water comes out. This way we will eliminate the necessary starch that helps us to have a looser grain.

The proportion of water will be 1.25 times the amount of rice, that is, for 400 g. rice, about 500 g. of water.

Preparation of thai jasmine rice

1. We wash the rice to remove part of its starch. We rinse it abundantly until clean water comes out. Drain and reserve.
2. In a frying pan, without oil, toast the spices, fennel, coriander seeds and cumin seeds, for 1 or 2 minutes and reserve.
3. In a saucepan, add the cold water, the washed rice and a pinch of salt.
4. When the water begins to boil, cover the saucepan, put on low heat and cook, uncovered, for 11 minutes.
5. Add the lime zest and toasted spices and add to the rice.
6. We serve very hot accompanying for example a vegetable curry or a chicken curry .

If you still do not have it clear, I leave you a step by step in photos of this recipe for Thai jasmine rice . Do not miss any detail and it will be perfect.

Tips for a thai yummy rice

• Cooking will be slow and always covered. This is essential, otherwise the rice will run dry much sooner, the water used being insufficient and the final texture bad.
• Although I have used a pinch of salt in cooking, in many cases it may not be necessary.
• In dishes where rice is accompanied by curry sauce, very common in Thailand, we will surely be able to suppress the salt since it will be the accompanying sauce that gives that touch to the rice.
• Jasmine rice is an especially aromatic and delicate variety of rice that will make your home-made preparations tastier, adding that Asian touch to any dish.

Basmati rice

Pre-wash and rest

1. We measure the rice that we are going to use, for 4 people with 50 grams is enough.
2. First we are going to clean the starch that the rice brings. Its starch content is very high so that to be loose it will have to be washed several times with cold water in the saucepan where we are going to cook it.
3. We must rinse it several times until the water runs clear.
4. Once the water is more or less clear, let it rest for about 10 minutes. This will make the grain cook earlier and stay firmer and more whole.

Rice cooking and final presentation

1. We cook over low-medium heat starting from the cold water in which it was soaked and which barely covers the entire rice.
2. A finger of water more or less above the rice is enough, as you can see in the photos of the step by step.
3. Cover it and cook for about 14 minutes if it has been soaking previously.
4.  Once ready, turn off the heat and let it absorb all the excess liquid, thus concentrating all the aromas.
5. We wash the file and grate without reaching the white part, we do not want it to become bitter. We reserve.
6. In a frying pan we are going to toast our spices to give more flavor to this rice (this step is optional but it is left with that point that oriental restaurants give you).
7. Lightly toast the coriander, cumin and fennel in a frying pan without oil, a minute and a half until they start to catch color.
8. Immediately remove from the heat and mix everything (the lime too) with the rice after resting.
9. Before serving, stir with a fork to separate the grains.