Degchi
Basmati rice
Also written: basmati chawal
- Urduباسمتی
- Hindiबासमती
- Banglaবাসমতি
Basmati is a long, slender, aromatic rice. The grains stretch lengthwise as they cook rather than puffing out, which is why it is the rice behind biryani, pulao, kabsa and mandi.
Rinse it first. Basmati carries surface starch, and washing it in several changes of water until the water runs almost clear keeps the cooked grains separate instead of sticky. Our Chicken Biryani rinses it that way, then soaks it for 30 minutes and drains it. The soak helps the grains cook evenly and stay long and unbroken.
For biryani you then parboil it in a big pot of well-salted water for five to six minutes, until the grains snap when pressed but still show a white core, then drain and let steam finish the job in the sealed pot. For pulao and kabsa-style dishes the rice usually cooks directly in measured liquid, so follow the water amount in the recipe; soaked and unsoaked rice need different amounts.
Handle it gently. Stir with a fork or a wide spoon, because cooked basmati is brittle and breaks if you scrape it. Aged rice usually gives the longest, driest grains, so a packet that says aged is a good choice for biryani. Once it is cooked, rest it covered and off the heat for about ten minutes, as our biryani does, so the steam evens out and the grains firm up. Store the dry rice in a sealed container away from damp.
Recipes that use it
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