How To Cook White Basmati Rice On Stove Top

how to make white rice without rice cooker

How To Cook White Basmati Rice On Stove Top

Easy recipe to make white basmati rice without rice cooker, with helpful tips to cook the perfect white rice.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword how to cook rice without rice cooker, stove top white rice, white basmati rice, white rice

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 10

Total Time 12

Servings

Calories 246kcal

Author PA

Ingredients

2 cups white basmati rice
4 cups water

Optional Add Ons

salt adjust to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash the rice and keep it aside.
Heat the water in pot/pan and bring it to a boil.
When the water starts boiling gently add the rice to the boiling water. (if you don't want to do that or if you are in a hurry, you can also add the rice and water together to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
I do this all the times and it works fine, but if you add rice later to the water it will reduce the tendency of rice to be sticky while cooking).
Also add salt, lemon juice and oil if you are using them, mix in.
Close the pan with lid and cook for 10 minutes (cooking time may vary slightly if it is not basmati rice)
Open the pan and see if the rice is cooked completely, if not, you may close the pan and cook for another couple of minutes (some times it may take around 12 minutes of cooking as the cooking times can slightly vary based on the stove used).
Once the rice is cooked completely, gently fluff or you can gently stir using a steel spatula or fluff the rice using a fork.
If there is any little water remaining in the pan after the rice is cooked, you can keep the pan open and heat in medium heat for another 1 to 2 minutes so the water will get evaporated.
Serve the cooked white rice hot with any curry or side dishes or if you are not using the rice right away, you should gently stir the rice again twice (using fork, good quality spatula or rice paddle) with an interval of 15 minutes in between, so that the rice won't stick together as it cools down.
You can also add salt and butter to the pot or pan while cooking the rice, so that the cooked rice will have a nice flavor.

Video

Notes

If you are in a hurry, you can simply add the rice and water in the pot or pan, and then boil the water.

Once the water starts boiling, you can close the pan and cook for 10 minutes. However, if you boil the water first and then add the rice, it will result in a better texture for the cooked rice.

Another thing I want to mention is that if you want to make perfect fluffy rice that is not sticky at all, even without adding oil or butter or lemon juice (adding lemon juice helps with reducing stickiness) the only thing I do is to stir the rice gently using a fork or good quality steel spatula or rice paddle in an interval of about 15 minutes for about 3 times once the rice is cooked so the rice won't be sticky at all.

If you are serving the hot rice immediately after you are preparing, stirring once is enough but if you are saving for later, make sure to stir in between.

Nutrition