This is the simplest way to cook basmati rice, an aged, aromatic long-grain variety from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Washing the rice thoroughly to remove its surface starches and steaming it in the oven ensures that each grain is separate, a hallmark of well-cooked rice. In India, “we say that when you cook basmati rice, it should be like brothers,” Madhur says. “Close to each other, but not stuck to each other.”

Madhur Jaffrey’s Plain Basmati Rice Recipe

Basmati rice is an essential grain in Indian cuisine. Approximately seventy percent of the world’s basmati rice is grown in India; this aromatic long-grain rice variety has a unique, nutty perfume and a light, airy texture when cooked. “The characteristics of each rice are different. Basmati rice elongates. It expands and becomes longer. And a little bit of rice becomes a lot of rice. It’s absolutely beautiful,” says Madhur.

Fluffy basmati rice can be served as a side dish with almost meal, prepared either plain, as in this recipe, or seasoned with whole spices like cumin seeds (jeera rice); sweetened with coconut milk; or used as the basis for ornate, pilaf-style rice dishes like pulao and [biryani](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lamb-biryani-recipe-by-madhur-jaffrey). Although you can cook basmati in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, Madhur prefers this method of steaming it in the oven.
This is the simplest way to cook basmati rice, an aged, aromatic long-grain variety from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Washing the rice thoroughly to remove its surface starches and steaming it in the oven ensures that each grain is separate, a hallmark of well-cooked rice. In India, “we say that when you cook basmati rice, it should be like brothers,” Madhur says. “Close to each other, but not stuck to each other.”

Basmati rice is an essential grain in Indian cuisine. Approximately seventy percent of the world’s basmati rice is grown in India; this aromatic long-grain rice variety has a unique, nutty perfume and a light, airy texture when cooked. “The characteristics of each rice are different. Basmati rice elongates. It expands and becomes longer. And a little bit of rice becomes a lot of rice. It’s absolutely beautiful,” says Madhur.Fluffy basmati rice can be served as a side dish with almost meal, prepared either plain, as in this recipe, or seasoned with whole spices like cumin seeds (jeera rice); sweetened with coconut milk; or used as the basis for ornate, pilaf-style rice dishes like pulao and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lamb-biryani-recipe-by-madhur-jaffrey' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/lamb-biryani-recipe-by-madhur-jaffrey","linkCopy":"biryani","category":null}'>biryani</a>. Although you can cook basmati in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, Madhur prefers this method of steaming it in the oven.

What Is Basmati Rice?

This is the simplest way to cook basmati rice, an aged, aromatic long-grain variety from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Washing the rice thoroughly to remove its surface starches and steaming it in the oven ensures that each grain is separate, a hallmark of well-cooked rice. In India, “we say that when you cook basmati rice, it should be like brothers,” Madhur says. “Close to each other, but not stuck to each other.”

This is the simplest way to cook basmati rice, an aged, aromatic long-grain variety from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Washing the rice thoroughly to remove its surface starches and steaming it in the oven ensures that each grain is separate, a hallmark of well-cooked rice. In India, “we say that when you cook basmati rice, it should be like brothers,” Madhur says. “Close to each other, but not stuck to each other.”
