Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Plain Rice
Plain Rice ()

Plain Rice

Vegetarian

Plain steamed basmati rice, cooked until tender with separate grains and a clean, mild flavour.

Ingredients

01
Basmati rice · Basmati Chawal
150 g
grain
02
Water · Paani
298 g300 ml
liquid
03
Salt · Namak
~0.3 g1 pinch
salt

Method

  1. Rinse 150 g basmati rice twice in cold water, stirring it with your fingers and pouring away the cloudy water each time.
  2. Put 298 g water in a small saucepan and heat over high heat until it boils.
  3. Add the rinsed rice and 0.3 g salt to the boiling water and stir once.
  4. When the water returns to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
  5. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes.
  7. Run a fork through the rice to separate the grains.

Don't have something?

Basmati rice
  • Plain boiled rice

    Use 2.5 times the weight if substituting pre-cooked rice. Fold in gently at the end of the recipe; grains will be shorter and less fragrant.

Water
  • Stock

    Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.

  • Milk

    Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.

  • Coconut water

    Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Similar dishes

Basic Rice Recipe
Basic Rice Recipe tastes the same mild, clean basmati flavour as this dish, with no spices, souring agent, or fat.
  • Same: Basic Rice Recipe shares basmati rice, salt, and a plain steamed absorption style that gives separate, tender grains with a mild, clean flavour.
  • Different: Basic Rice Recipe lists 300 g basmati rice and salt but no measured water, while this dish lists 150 g basmati rice, 298 g water, and 0.3 g salt and is cooked by absorption so the rice steams dry without draining.
Sada Chaawal
Steamed Rice
Sada Chaawal tastes slightly richer from the oil and more seasoned from the salt than this dish's plain steamed rice.
  • Same: Sada Chaawal shares steamed basmati rice with separate grains and a clean, neutral flavour with this dish.
  • Different: Sada Chaawal includes vegetable oil and salt, while this dish has no oil and only 0.3 g salt; it also uses 490 g rice versus 150 g here.
Khuska
Plain Boiled Rice
Khuska should taste mild and clean like this dish but noticeably saltier, with fluffy separate grains.
  • Same: Khuska shares basmati rice and salt with this dish, and both are plain rice preparations with no spices.
  • Different: Khuska uses a much larger batch of rice and a higher salt proportion by rice weight, and it lists no measured water amount, while this dish gives 298 g water for 150 g rice.
Pilau Rice
Pilau Rice tastes warm and aromatic from cumin and bay with ghee richness, while this dish tastes clean and plain.
  • Same: Pilau Rice shares basmati rice cooked until tender with separate grains and a mild base with this dish.
  • Different: Pilau Rice adds ghee, cumin seed and Indian bay leaf, while this dish uses only rice, water and salt.