How to Cook Basmati Brown Rice

Brown basmati rice is very long-grained and aromatic variety with a nutty flavor that originated in India, and is still grown and used there extensively. As one of the family of brown rice, it’s very healthy and can be served with a variety of dishes. A number of ingredients can be added to it as well. Here you’ll learn about preparing this unique rice and the primary ways of cooking it – through boiling, steaming and pressure cooking.

[Edit]Ingredients

Brown Basmati Rice

Servings: 6 cups

• brown basmati rice
• water
• salt

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Rinsing and Soaking Brown Basmati Rice

1. Add the rice to cold water to rinse it. Measure brown basmati rice, and pour it into a medium-sized bowl of cold tap water.^[1]
   
   
   
2. Rinse the rice. Use your hand to swish the rice around until the water becomes cloudy-looking and foam appears on the edges.^[2]
   
   
   • While rinsing it can wash away some of the rice's nutrients, brown basmati rice is typically imported and may be processed with talc, powdered glucose and rice powder. Rice connoisseurs, therefore, recommend rinsing it.
   • Doing so will also get rid of some of the starch, which will help make your rice less gluey.^[3]
3. Strain the water from the rice. Pour out the water through a mesh strainer or by tilting the bowl to the side. You can hold a plate over the bowl to keep the rice from spilling out as you drain the water.^[4]
   
   
4. Rinse the rice again. Add more cool tap water and repeat this process until the water is clear. This could require up to 10 rounds of washing the rice.^[5]
   
   
5. Once the water is clear, leave the rice in the bowl and set it aside.
   
   
6. Combine the rinsed rice and cold water to soak. Add cold water to the drained and rinsed rice and let it soak between 30 minutes to 24 hours depending upon the method of cooking and how long you want to cook it. The longer you allow it to soak, the less time it will take to cook.
   
   
   • Additionally, basmati rice is known for its rich flavor, which can be lost during the heating process. Soaking it reduces cooking time, thus preserving more of its flavor.^[6]
   • Soaking rice also improves its texture, making it softer and lighter.^[7]
7. Drain the water from the rice. Use a mesh strainer to drain the water that has not been absorbed by the rice.
   
   
   • You can also use a colander, but the holes must be very small so the rice doesn't escape when you strain it.

[Edit]Boiling Brown Basmati Rice

1. Prepare the water. Add water to a medium-sized cooking pot with a lid on the stovetop.
   
   
   • In order for the rice to cook properly, make sure you the lid has a tight seal so heat and steam aren't released.^[8]
   • Always make sure your pot isn't too small because rice will triple in volume once cooked.^[9]
2. Next add about salt to the water. As with pasta, salt is used to bring out the natural flavor in rice so it won't taste bland. It's not used to make it taste salty.^[10]
   
   
   • Season the brown rice with other flavors if you want to go beyond just salt.
3. Mix the rice and water. Pour rinsed and pre-soaked brown basmati rice to the pot and use a spoon to mix the rice with the water.^[11]
   
   
   • This is the only time you'll stir the rice until it's done. Stirring it while it's cooking activates the starch and makes it either sticky or creamy.^[12][13]
4. Bring it to a boil and then simmer. Turn the burner to high. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-40 minutes until all the water is absorbed.^[14][15]
   
   
   • The time difference is largely based upon how long you soaked the rice.
   • If you soaked it for 30 minutes, your cook time will be closer to 40 minutes. If you soaked it overnight, your cook time will be closer to 15 minutes.
   • It's very important to turn down the heat and to simmer once the water boils. Rice that's cooked too fast on a high heat will be hard because the water will evaporate. The kernels will also break.^[16]
5. Test to see if it's done. Quickly remove the lid and use a fork to scoop out some of the rice. Immediately replace the lid. If the rice is tender and the water has fully absorbed, it's ready. If not, continue cooking another 2-4 minutes.
   
   
   • You may need to add more water if it's not tender but the water has fully absorbed. Start slowly by adding just a of water.
6. Remove the pot from the burner and cover with a towel. When done, take the pot from the burner and remove the lid. Place a folded kitchen towel over the pot, and promptly replace the lid.^[17]
   
   
   • The towel will help to steam the rice, making it fluffier. It also absorbs extra moisture that would otherwise fall back onto the rice.^[18]
7. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes. Don’t lift the lid while you let the rice rest or you'll lose the steam necessary to fully cook it.^[19][20]
   
8. Remove the towel and lid and fluff the rice. Use a fork to fluff the rice while it's in the pot. Then let the rice sit uncovered for just a few minutes so it doesn't have a wet texture.^[21][22]
   
   
   • Using a fork helps the remaining steam to escape and the grains to separate.
9. Scoop and serve. Use a large spoon or a nonstick rice paddle spoon to scoop out the rice. Serve it now alone or as part of another dish.
   
   

[Edit]Cooking Brown Basmati Rice in a Rice Cooker

1. Read the instructions carefully. There are a variety of rice cookers on the market, and they don’t all operate in the same way or have the same features.
   
   • For instance, some will have both white and brown rice settings. Others won’t have either.
2. Combine the water and rice. Use a wooden spoon or rice paddle spoon to mix brown basmati rice and of water into the inner pot of the rice cooker.
   
   
   • Many rice cookers come with a dry measuring cup. However, they’re often only equivalent to 3/4 of a standard cup.
   • Don’t use metal utensils when mixing or scooping because they can damage the non-stick coating of the inner pots.
3. Put on the lid and turn it to cook. Generally rice cookers have two settings – cook and warm – so make sure you select cook. This will bring the water to a boil very quickly.
   
   
   • Once the rice has absorbed all the water, the temperature will rise past the boiling point of water (100˚C/212˚F). At this point, most rice cookers will then automatically switch to the warm setting.
   • This will typically take about 30 minutes.
   • The warm setting will hold the rice at a safe serving temperature until you turn off the cooker.
4. Don’t take off the lid during cooking. As with the boiling method, don’t lift the lid while the rice is cooking or the water vapor needed to cook it will disperse.^[23]
   
5. Let the rice rest in the cooker. After it switches to warm, keep the lid closed and let the rice sit for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking.^[24]
   
6. Open the cooker and fluff the rice. Carefully open the lid away from your face to avoid being burned by any excess steam. Use a wooden or rice paddle spoon to gently fluff the rice. ^[25]
   
   
7. Dish it out. You can serve it now or save it for later in the refrigerator or freezer.
   
   
   • If refrigerating, put the rice into a bowl and cover with a lid or saran wrap. It should keep for 3-4 days. Don't leave it out for more than two hours before refrigerating.
   • If freezing, rinse it in cool water, place portions in zip lock bags and place them in the freezer. Thaw the rice in the baggies overnight in the refrigerator.^[26]

[Edit]Pressure Cooking Brown Basmati Rice

1. Combine the water, rice and salt. Mix brown basmati rice, of water and salt in the pressure cooker and turn the burner to medium-high or high heat to reach high pressure.^[27][28]
   
   
2. Secure the lid. Begin timing when the pressure cooker reaches high pressure.^[29][30]
   
   
   • Various models will have different types of valves to alert you when the pressure cooker is at high pressure.
   • Those with spring valves generally have a bar or rod that rises; jiggler valves will rock and jiggle slowly at first and then rapidly; weight-modified valves will whistle and hiss as they lift up and down.^[31]
3. Decrease the heat and continue cooking. Reduce the burner's temperature until the pressure cooker has stabilized and let the rice keep cooking.^[32] The total time from reaching high pressure until you're done should be between 12-15 minutes.
   
   • Again, the time depends upon the amount of time you pre-soaked the rice.^[33][34]
4. Turn off the heat. Allow the temperature and pressure to drop naturally for about 10-15 minutes after turning off the heat. The safety-locking mechanism will disengage or an indicator will alert you that the pressure has dropped.^[35][36]
   
   
   • Alternatively, put on oven mitts and place the pressure cooker in the sink. Run cold water over it to decrease the pressure. Then remove the valve and push the button/twist/press the lever to release water vapor and any remaining pressure.^[37][38]
   • Either way, be careful while doing this and know from where the vapor will shoot out so you aren't burned.^[39][40]
5. Fluff the rice and serve. Use a fork to fluff the rice and serve now, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.
   

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

Brown Basmati Rice:

• Medium-sized mixing bowl
• Medium-sized pot with a tight-sealing lid
• Dry and liquid measuring cups and spoons
• Large spoon
• Fork
• Kitchen towel
• Stovetop steamer
• Stovetop pressure cooker
• Oven mitts
• Nonstick rice paddle spoon (optional)

[Edit]Tips

• Consider using basmati brown rice instead of standard white basmati rice when preparing jeera rice.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Cook Basmati Rice
• Make Indian Style Basmati Rice

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102172.html
2. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102172.html
3. ↑ http://www.chow.com/food-news/148823/nagging-question-should-you-rinse-rice-before-cooking/
4. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102172.html
5. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102172.html
6. ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/item/13378/soaking-basmati-rice
7. ↑ http://www.chow.com/food-news/148823/nagging-question-should-you-rinse-rice-before-cooking/
8. ↑ http://www.marthastewart.com/924877/master-recipe-brown-rice
9. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/fnh/cooking-brown-rice
10. ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/the-6-most-common-rice-cooking-mistakes
11. ↑ http://www.marthastewart.com/924877/master-recipe-brown-rice
12. ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/the-6-most-common-rice-cooking-mistakes
13. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/fnh/cooking-brown-rice
14. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/health/nutrition/31recipehealth.html?_r=0
15. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/perfect-brown-basmati-rice
16. ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/the-6-most-common-rice-cooking-mistakes
17. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/health/nutrition/31recipehealth.html?_r=0
18. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/make-fluffier-rice-by-trapping-the-steam-with-a-kitchen-1686468378
19. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/fnh/cooking-brown-rice
20. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/health/nutrition/31recipehealth.html?_r=0
21. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/health/nutrition/31recipehealth.html?_r=0
22. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/perfect-brown-basmati-rice
23. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-cook-brown-rice/
24. ↑ http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-cook-whole-grains-in-a-rice-cooker/
25. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/aromatic-basmati-rice-rice-cooker-424415
26. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/perfect-brown-rice-in-a-steamer-298971
27. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/pressure-cooker-recipes/how-to-cook-brown-rice-pressure-cookers
28. ↑ http://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/how-to-make-rice-in-a-pressure-cooker-real-food-real-fast/
29. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/pressure-cooker-recipes/how-to-cook-brown-rice-pressure-cookers
30. ↑ http://www.vegancoach.com/pressure-cooking-dried-beans.html
31. ↑ http://www.hippressurecooking.com/is-your-pressure-cooker-ready-to-cook-checklist/
32. ↑ http://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/how-to-make-rice-in-a-pressure-cooker-real-food-real-fast/
33. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/pressure-cooker-recipes/how-to-cook-brown-rice-pressure-cookers
34. ↑ http://www.vegancoach.com/pressure-cooking-dried-beans.html
35. ↑ http://www.hippressurecooking.com/is-your-pressure-cooker-ready-to-cook-checklist/
36. ↑ http://www.vegancoach.com/pressure-cooking-dried-beans.html
37. ↑ http://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/how-to-make-rice-in-a-pressure-cooker-real-food-real-fast/
38. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/pressure-cooker-recipes/how-to-cook-brown-rice-pressure-cookers
39. ↑ http://www.hippressurecooking.com/is-your-pressure-cooker-ready-to-cook-checklist/
40. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/pressure-cooker-recipes/how-to-cook-brown-rice-pressure-cookers

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