What is Jasmati rice?
Jasmati rice is a hybrid rice variety designed to harness the best parts of jasmine and basmati rice. It has a distinctive aromatic, pleasant smell and a mild rice flavor combined with a smooth texture that makes it suitable for a wide range of foods. Many rice farmers in the southern United States produce jasmati rice. It is often available in markets or by special order in regions where single rice varieties are difficult to obtain.
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How to cook jasmati rice
Jasmati rice is one of the best long rice in the world, especially if you want to use it as an accompaniment to curry dishes or oriental dishes in general.
Authentic jasmati has been cultivated in India and Pakistan for hundreds of years, with the highest quality produced in the Himalayas mountain areas. It is a very long grain rice and becomes even longer during cooking. During cooking, the grains stay together and separate little but are not sticky after cooking. It can be found in two forms, white jasmati, and the darker brown jasmati. Both are cooked in time intervals not exceeding 20 minutes.
Because of the ability of the rice grains to stick together due to the high amount of starch, it is advisable to wash the rice before cooking. If it is also soaked for half an hour to two hours before cooking, the grains will be less likely to break during cooking. I love this long-grain rice, with its characteristic smell and taste. Famous for its delicate fragrances and exquisite taste, in India, its name means “queen of fragrances.”
In this recipe, Jasmati® Rice is used in this recipe, which is the preferred one for good results. You can get it easily in the link that follows together with other recipes: https://riceselect.com/recipe/bangkok-rice-shrimp-salad.
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) of Jasmati® Rice
- 1 cup (250 ml) of water
- Zest of one lime or half of one lemon
- 1/2 dessert spoon of coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds.
- 1/2 dessert spoon of fennel or anise spice
- Salt (to taste)
Before cooking the jasmati rice: Pre-washing and resting
Measure the rice you are going to use. For 4 people, 7 to 8 oz (200-230 grams) is enough, but if you are passionate, you can add a little more. Remember to measure the water.
The secret of loose and soft jasmati rice lies in its preparation. So first, clean the starch from the rice. Its starch content is very high, so to keep it loose, it must be washed several times with cold water in the pan where you cook it. It should be rinsed several times until the water runs clear.
Once the water is more or less clear, leave it to stand for about 10 minutes. This will help the beans to cook faster and keep them firmer and more whole.
Cooking the rice and final presentation
- Cook over gentle-medium heat, starting with the cold water in which it was soaking and barely covering all the rice. A finger of water, more or less over the rice is enough, as you can see in the step-by-step photos.
- Cover and add a few pinches of salt (this is to taste, as this rice is typically used as an accompaniment, it does not usually have much). Cook for about 15 minutes if it has been soaking previously. Once ready, turn off the heat and let it absorb all the excess liquid, thus concentrating all the aromas.
- Wash the lime and grate it without getting to the white part so it doesn’t get bitter. Set aside.
Toast the spices in a frying pan to give this rice a more aromatic flavor (this step is optional, but it gives it that special touch that oriental restaurants give it). - Lightly toast the coriander, cumin, and fennel in a frying pan without oil for a minute and a half until they start to color. Immediately remove from the heat and mix everything (including the lime) with the rice after it has rested. Before serving, stir with a fork to separate the grains.
And now you have the perfect jasmati rice, ideal to accompany any kind of dish, be it meat, fish, or vegetables, and a perfect garnish for any recipe.
