Basmati rice: types, brands and how to cook it

Basmati rice is a long-grain, fragrant rice grown at the foot of the Himalayas, in northern India and in Pakistan. Cooked well, the grains are dry and separate, do not stick and grow much longer. It is the everyday rice of Indian cooking: with curry and dal, and for biryani and pulao. In a Polish shop it is sold as ryż basmati.

What basmati rice is

Basmati is a group of rice varieties with long, thin grains and a nutty aroma. The name comes from Hindi and means roughly "fragrant". Good basmati has three signs you can check at home:

• the raw grains are long, thin and slightly translucent;
• the grains grow clearly longer while cooking, rather than wider;
• the cooked rice is fragrant and does not stick in lumps.

Many producers age basmati before sale, sometimes for a year or more. Aged rice is drier, sticks less and grows longer. Packs often say "aged".

Types of basmati rice

An Indian shop sells several types of basmati. They differ in processing and use.

1. White basmati (raw). The classic and most fragrant. For everyday rice, jeera rice and pulao.
2. Basmati sella (parboiled, golden sella). Soaked and steamed before husking. Slightly golden, with firmer grains that are hard to overcook. Good for biryani and restaurant cooking.
3. Steam basmati. Treated with steam. It is white but holds its shape better than ordinary white basmati.
4. Brown basmati. With the bran, stronger and nuttier. It takes longer to cook.
5. Broken basmati. Broken grains. Good for kheer, khichdi and dishes where the rice should go soft.

Brands often split their rice into lines such as "Classic", "Premium", "Everyday" or "Biryani". These are the producer's names. A higher line usually has longer and more even grains, but compare the descriptions on the pack.

How to choose basmati rice

• For everyday rice and jeera rice: white basmati, a mid-range line, 1–5 kg pack.
• For biryani: white basmati with the longest grains, or sella if you want the grains not to break.
• For kheer and desserts: broken basmati.
• For a large family: 10–20 kg sacks. Keep them in a closed container in a dry, cool place.

Polish supermarkets sell basmati in small packs, sometimes in boil-in-bag sachets. Indian shops have more brands, more types and larger sacks. At Little India you will find basmati from India Gate, Tilda and Banno, and Little India's own-brand rice.

How to cook basmati rice

Absorption method (2–3 portions):

1. Rinse 1 cup of rice in a bowl 3–4 times, until the water is almost clear.
2. Soak the rice in cold water for 20–30 minutes. Drain.
3. Put 1½ cups of water in a pot with salt and a teaspoon of ghee or oil. Bring to the boil.
4. Add the rice, stir once, cover and cook on low heat for 10–12 minutes.
5. Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 5–10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Draining method (like pasta): boil the soaked rice in plenty of salted water for 8–10 minutes, until the grains are soft but not mushy. Drain in a sieve. This method is used for biryani, where the rice finishes cooking later in the pot with meat or vegetables.

Sella rice needs more water (about 2 cups per cup of rice) and longer cooking. Brown basmati takes 25–30 minutes. Always check the instructions on the pack.

The simplest dish with basmati is jeera rice, rice with cumin. You will find the recipe in our guide to cumin (jeera). If you cannot decide between basmati and Thai rice, read jasmine vs basmati rice.

Where to buy basmati rice in Poland

The full range is in the rice category of the Little India shop. To start, try India Gate Classic basmati 1 kg; for biryani, India Gate golden sella basmati 1 kg; and for a family, Little India extra-long basmati sella 5 kg. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders across Poland.