How To Cook Jasmine Rice

Cooking Jasmine Rice

Cooking any rice is usually relatively straightforward. However, there are always things that can go wrong. A few ‘curve balls’ can be experienced when cooking rice; this is no different for jasmine rice.

The most common mistake is not making geographical allowances when reading a recipe. Because when cooking jasmine rice (or any rice for that matter), there are only two ingredients to be mindful of (apart from seasoning to taste) water & rice.

Water will vary from location to location, whether hard or soft, and the rice’s age may impact how quickly it cooks. But this method will work well as a good ‘middle of the road’ recipe for cooking rice to a good standard.

Background To Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice recipes are straightforward, mainly because Thai jasmine rice is of the highest quality and therefore doesn’t need to be messed with or modified. So eating it in its purest form is already a pleasure.

However, in the following jasmine rice recipes, you can add a few extra ingredients to the cooking process if you wish. Many herbs add a little something different to the rice while it cooks. A very famous example is star anise. Adding one star to the water the rice will cook will infuse the rise with its rich aniseed flavour profile.

When cooking rice, be mindful that some adjustments need to be made to your equipment (microwave power, fan-assisted oven etc.) and how hard the water is in your area.

Preparing To Cook Jasmine Rice

Cooking rice is one of the essential elements of food. However, if you have ever been to Asia Thailand in particular, you will know that doing it correctly is a fine art. But something to consider is that rice can be cooked in many different ways and styles, all of which create other flavour profiles.

In the same way, mashed potatoes are cooked to taste. Mashed potatoes can be made using salt, margarine, butter, milk and many other ingredients; rice is similar.

During the cooking process, you can add butter, salt, sugar, herbs such as star anise, or anything else that takes your fancy. Here we will explain how to cook boiled rice. Please experiment with other ingredients and let us know which combination you like most.

Step By Step

• Step one – always rinse the rice. Sometimes the rice will require rinsing 2 or 3 times. It would be best if you kept rinsing the rice and changing the water until it remained pretty clear.
• Step two – use a ratio of 1 part rice to between 1.5 – 2 parts water. This ratio needs to be adjusted for the type of rice being used. For example, Thai fragrant rice will require closer to 1.5 parts water, and the more robust heartier grains of rice, such as Riceberry Organic Rice, will need closer to 2 parts water.
• Step Three – select a cooking pot that can accommodate the expanded rice. The rice will swell significantly during cooking as it absorbs the water. Add the water, rice and extra ingredients all together in the pot and bring quickly to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn it to a moderate simmer and cover it with a fitting lid. The approximate cooking times are as follows:
  • 20-27 mins – white rice & Thai fragrant rice
  • 33-40 mins – brown & organic rice
  • 44-50 mins – riceberry rice & other hearty grains
• Step Four – once the rice is light, fluffy and cooked through, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Leave the rice for 10 minutes or so. This will allow the rice to dry out and achieve the perfect consistency.