Adapted from Made in India by Meera Sodha (Flatiron Books, 2015)
Serves 4
Whenever I want plain, perfectly cooked rice, this is the recipe I use. It’s based on a simple 1:1½ ratio of rice to water. I always use basmati—my favorite is Super Quality Basmati Rice Dehraduni/Indian White Extra-Long Grain, which I order from Kalustyan’s.
I rinse the rice until the water runs clear and let it soak for 20 minutes before cooking. The result is consistently tender, separate grains every time.
1 cup basmati rice
1½ cups just-boiled water
2 tablespoons neutral oil (I use grapeseed)
¾ teaspoon salt
Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Let the rice soak in a bowl of cold water for at least 20 minutes. Drain.
Put the oil into a wide-bottomed, lidded shallow pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the drained rice, stirring a couple of times to coat each grain in the warmed oil.
Pour in the boiling water, add the salt, stir once, and bring the rice to a boil. Put the lid on and immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. Let it cook for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
When the 10 minutes is up, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for another 10 minutes. Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork.
Note 1: I use a stainless steel rice-washing bowl nested in a Mason Cash Size 24 bowl to rinse and soak the rice. A fine strainer set into a bowl works too, as long as the rice doesn’t slip through the holes.
Note 2: Because this recipe is based on a ratio, I use the same Pyrex 2-cup liquid measuring cup for both the rice and the water. I measure 1 cup of rice, then use the same cup to add just-boiled water to the 1½-cup line.
Note 3: I cook this in an All-Clad 3-quart saucier, now discontinued. A covered sauté pan or lidded skillet works just as well. To make half the recipe, a 2-quart saucier is perfect.
