Perfect Basmati Rice

Rice n Curry

Panic set in as she peered into what appeared to be a pot of boiling wall paper paste to accompany her curried lamb. Her vision of fluffy rice where each grain sat separate from its bedfellows and beamed with pride was fast disappearing and turning into a glutinous mess. Hoping for a miracle cure and rice redemption there was no way back the mixture looked fit to set the foundations of London’s Olympic Park. Staring at the bubbling cauldron it was as wrong as a Steven Seagal ponytail, but rice disasters aren’t uncommon. So here’s my recipe for a gloop free rice, shot through with whole spice, tasty light and blasted with nuggets of shiny green peas. This indian rice recipe is simple and easy and perfect for curry.

Serves 4

  • ½ onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 250g basmati rice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Handful of frozen peas
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

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How To Cook Basmati Rice

In a large frying pan or wok, warm the oil over a medium heat and fry the onion until translucent, it’ll take just a couple of minutes. Drop in the whole spices until the pan becomes aromatic and stir for a minute or two. Now add the rice and coat the grains glazing them with the oil. Add water and salt to the pan approximately 1cm above the surface of rice, the mix will cackle as the water mocks the oil and stir. You’ll need to keep adding water to the pan (just above the rice plateau) until the rice has absorbed the liquid. About 15 minutes into cooking, throw in the frozen peas and mix through allowing the green pods to shine and pop through the basmati rice. After 5 minutes check the rice and peas, the grains should be soft not al dente and the peas should be pert and plucky. The whole affair should take approximately 20 minutes.

Serve this perfect basmati rice recipe with any delicious curry, removing the bay leaves





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Rice n Curry

Panic set in as she peered into what appeared to be a pot of boiling wall paper paste to accompany her curried lamb. Her vision of fluffy rice where each grain sat separate from its bedfellows and beamed with pride was fast disappearing and turning into a glutinous mess. Hoping for a miracle cure and rice redemption there was no way back the mixture looked fit to set the foundations of London’s Olympic Park. Staring at the bubbling cauldron it was as wrong as a Steven Seagal ponytail, but rice disasters aren’t uncommon. So here’s my recipe for a gloop free rice, shot through with whole spice, tasty light and blasted with nuggets of shiny green peas. This indian rice recipe is simple and easy and perfect for curry.

Serves 4

  • ½ onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 250g basmati rice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Handful of frozen peas
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

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