Cooking perfect basmati rice in a rice cooker is an absolute breeze. It turns out so good, you’ll never go back to any other way of cooking it! I love how the flavor and texture turns out, with such little effort.
The Versatile Rice Cooker
Though it is referred to as ‘Rice’ Cooker, it is an amazingly versatile appliance! I use it for heating up refrigerated dals, curries and soups. I use it for steaming vegetables and idlis. Steam heating is so much better than microwave heating. I use it for boiling eggs. Yes, boiling eggs! They turn out perfect in the rice cooker. Just add a cup of water to the rice cooker, set the eggs in, put the lid on and press start. That’s it!
1. Perfect Boiled Eggs 2. Steamed Veggies for Carrot-Green Beans Poriyal 3. Steamed Veggie Upma 4. Steaming Sambar in Rice Cooker
Basmati Rice
I mostly eat brown rice, but I occasionally enjoy basmati rice for it’s aroma and texture. Unlike jasmine rice, it is not sticky but can be made mushy by adding more water. What I like about basmati rice is that it cooks so well. It works great for fried rice, pilaf, biryani, khichdi, pongal and a host of other delicious Indian rice dishes.
Perfect Rice Cooker Basmati Rice
You can cook perfect rice in a couple of easy steps in your rice cooker. This is especially true for basmati rice (I prefer to cook brown rice in Instant Pot). I typically use the pot-in-pot method to cook rice. I prefer this method, as it helps the bottom layer stay moist, and not get burnt as it does when cooked directly. Not only that, it is so easy to clean the rice cooker, by cooking this way.
Kitchen Hack to Lower Glycemic Index of Rice
Let me share an easy tip that not many people know about. Did you know that when freshly cooked rice is refrigerated overnight (say, 12–24 hours), the starch in it transforms into resistant starch? Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion. This results in a slower, more stable rise in blood sugar levels. Reheating these foods will not result in changing back the starch composition. You can use the same technique while consuming other high starch foods like potatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans and pasta. Do give this a try and enjoy these foods with no guilt (of course, consume in moderation!).
Basmati rice typically has lower levels of arsenic, as compared to several other varieties of rice. However, since this is not a whole grain (like brown rice), it is recommended to limit your intake of basmati rice by way of portion sizes, as well as eating it only occasionally. You can also refrigerate freshly cooked rice overnight to reduce its glycemic index.
Check out our delicious rice recipes here:
- Brown Rice Matar (Peas) Pulao
- Savory Brown Rice Pongal
- Brown Rice Vegetable Pulao
- South Indian Brown Rice Khichdi
- Brown Jeera (Cumin) Rice
- Mexican Rice
- Bisi Bele Bath
- Egg Tomato Spicy Rice
- Pulihora | Puliogare with Brown Rice
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Perfect Rice Cooker Basmati Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- 3.5 Cups Filtered water
Instructions
- Add one cup basmati rice to a steel container. Wash and drain water.
- Add olive oil and 1.5 cups water. Mix well.
- Add 2 cups water to the rice cooker pot, and set the steel container (with the rice) on the steam rack. Set lid and turn cooker on.
- Once the rice is done, rice cooker automatically turns to 'keep warm' mode. Perfect basmati rice is ready!
- Serve hot with Spicy Mushroom Curry and fresh sliced cucumber.
