Aromatic Basmati Rice

Name: Aromatic Basmati Rice
Ingredients: Basmati rice, rinsed (about &frac13; cup per person); 4 to 5 whole cardamom pods (per serving); 2 to 3 whole cloves (per serving); cold water (about 1 and &frac12 to 2 times the amount of rice); 1 cinnamon stick (per serving)

Adding a few whole spices to your pot of steamed rice makes a big difference. This recipe calls for cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, but you can add black pepper, bay leaves, and coriander to the pot as well.

Submitted by: Mabel from Chicago, IL
Yield: varies

Spices

Featured in this Recipe

Ingredients

Basmati rice, rinsed (about ⅓ cup per person)
4 to 5 whole cardamom pods (per serving)
2 to 3 whole cloves (per serving)
cold water (about 1 and ½ to 2 times the amount of rice)
1 cinnamon stick (per serving)

Preparation Instructions:

Put rice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and water in a pot and allow to come to a boil.

Contrary to instructions that you usually read about cooking rice, do not put on the lid, or the liquid will boil over.

Once it boils, turn the heat down and simmer slightly uncovered for 7 minutes.

Then cover, reduce the heat further, and let cook for another 8 minutes.

Turn the heat off and let the rice sit for 15 minutes before fluffing.

More About This Recipe

To make it even more aromatic, saute the rinsed rice in heated ghee (clarified butter) for a couple of minutes before adding water (increase to 2 parts water) and the whole spices. Be sure to read the directions on your bag of rice as they tend to vary from brand to brand.