This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Learn how to cook basmati rice on the stovetop with this easy, step-by-step guide. From rinsing the rice to getting the water ratio just right, I’ll walk you through the process so it turns out perfectly every time.
I love basmati rice for its wonderful fragrance and delicate, nutty flavor, which pair so well with richly spiced Indian dishes. Making rice should be simple, but as I often say, sometimes the simplest dishes are the trickiest to get right. Fortunately, with a little know-how, you can make beautifully fluffy rice with long, separate grains every time.
For this basmati rice recipe, I recommend starting with a high-quality brand of rice, preferably one imported from India or Pakistan. Not all basmati rice is alike, and some domestic varieties don’t have the same extra-long grains you may be used to seeing at Indian restaurants. My favorite is Jyoti Basmati Supreme, which has extra-long grains that expand beautifully as they cook. I use 1 cup of rice to 1¾ cups of water, a ratio that’s worked well for me over the years. Serve it alongside butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, or your favorite curry.
“This truly is the perfect basmati rice! Tried and true, this recipe never fails…much better than the package directions!”
What You’ll Need To Make Basmati Rice
How To Make Basmati Rice
Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, gently swishing the grains with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Alternatively, rinse the rice in a bowl of water several times, draining between rinses.
Cook the rice: Combine the rice, water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is bubbling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. The rice is ready when the water has been absorbed and the grains are tender. If they’re still a little firm, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking briefly.
Rest and fluff: Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered so the rice can finish steaming. Then gently fluff with a fork, lifting and separating the grains rather than stirring them. Serve warm.
How To Store, Freeze & Reheat Basmati Rice
To store: Transfer leftover rice to a shallow container so it cools quickly, then refrigerate promptly, ideally within an hour. Store in an airtight container and use within 1 to 2 days.
To freeze: Once cooled, transfer the rice to freezer-safe containers or resealable bags. Flattening the bags makes them easier to stack and helps the rice thaw or reheat evenly. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Add a splash of water to keep the rice moist, cover, and microwave until steaming hot throughout. You can reheat frozen rice directly from the freezer without thawing it first.
Perfect Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice preferably imported from India or Pakistan
- 1¾ cups water
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer. Place under cold running water, swishing the rice with your hand, for 1 to 2 minutes to release excess starch. (Alternatively, place the rice in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four times, or until the water runs almost clear. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the rice.)
- In a medium pot, bring the rice, water, butter, and salt to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is still too firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
You May Also Like
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I doubled the recipe and the rice came out perfectly! Thank you!
Do you keep the time the same when you double?
Hi Zaina, It should be around the same time, but, prior to removing it from the heat, make sure you check it to see if all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If not, give it an extra minute or two.
I have avoided Basmati rice because the one time I made it, it came out terrible. With that said, I am absolutely thrilled that this recipe turns out perfectly every time I make it!! I follow it exactly as written and have no issues.
Jennifer – Thanks to your recipe we had the best Basmati rice I ever cooked at home. I was surprised to see salt and butter in the recipe, but it makes the end product so flavoursome! I cooked the rice less long though as the suggested time was only 10-12 min, so I stuck to that.
Amazing result – I can highly recommend it.
How to cook brown basmati rice in a rice cooker? What is the proper ratio?
Hi Shahesta, I don’t have experience using a rice cooker, but you may find these tips helpful.
Awesome recipe! I could never make fluffy basmati rice until now. Thank you so much!!!
Rinse the rice & it soak for about 30 mins to get non sticky grains. Also one alternative of making basmati rice is boiling rice with a lot water (approx 3-4 cups of water for 1 cup of rice) until cooked and then draining the extra water. That way you wouldn’t need to measure any ingredients. Also here in India, we don’t usually add salt or butter to plain rice. Some people might add ghee to cooked rice. Hope you try making rice using this method. Do let me know how it turns out.
Hi Soloni. Prior to cooking, I prepared the rice using your recommendation, and it worked out beautifully. Thanks for the tip.
Gujarati here. My family always added salt and ghee to our rice. Back when we did the stove top method and the current – and vastly superior – rice cooker.
second the rinse and soak for the rice. Basmati always needed that soak.
And for the basmati – it’s usually more than salt and ghee. We usually have spices in it. I usually use the standard long grain rice for kichidee. The basmati was always for the meals we wanted special which means biriyani or something like that with a meat associated with it. Or kheer. You can’t make kheer without basmati.
To anyone who is reading this.. do try and look up how to make kheer. It’s just a rice pudding dessert and it’s delicious. If you’ve ever had ras malai, it’s very very similar to that.
Best tasting rice I ever cooked. I will always cook my rice this way.
Thank you, thank you thank you! I have been struggling with making rice and this method worked beautifully! No more gummy rice!
Doubled the recipe came out perfectly used olive oil instead of butter. Its a keeper. Thanks.
I doubled the recipe. The rice came out perfect!