How to cook jasmine rice perfect every-single-time? Well, that’s real simple. Get the perfect rice to water ratio. I have shared tips and tricks to make perfectly cooked jasmine rice.
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Jasmine rice
You can’t go wrong with rice said many. But let’s be honest, each one have had their own fair share of failure when it comes to cooking rice that is tender, fluffy and perfectly cooked. The secret to cooking any rice is perfecting the rice-water ratio. If you are someone who fears cooking rice, read on the tips and tricks shared in the post.
Jasmine rice is long-grain variety of rice native to Thailand and Vietnam. It’s named as Thai fragrant rice so as it has subtle flavors of jasmine flower. Most widely used in all things THAI, jasmine rice can also be served as side dish with almost any meal for busy weeknights.
While most prefer to use rice cooker to cook any kind of rice, I prefer the ones cooked on stove top or pressure cooker.
Let’s address some of the problems when it comes to cook rice on stove top:
- Rice isn’t cooked perfectly
- Rice stuck at the bottom on the pan
- Rice is too mushy
These are just a few problems to address. While “perfect rice” definition may vary from person to person, to me perfectly cooked rice means soft, fluffy, each-grain-separate. Perfectly cooked jasmine rice should be tender, fluffy, chewy and slightly sticky in texture.
Ingredients
Just 2 ingredients-
- Jasmine rice
- Water
Additional ingredients
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon oil or butter
Using the right pan and cooking at correct temperature are two crucial steps when you cook rice on stove top. Use heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan with lid on. Use glass lid pan as it’s easy to keep a watch while rice cooks. Heavy bottom pan ensure uniform distribution of heat so rice cooks uniform.
Rice does not stick to the pan even when there is no oil used if you follow the tips and tricks correctly. *check video, rice is not stuck to the pan at the bottom.
To rinse or not to rinse
The debate to rinse or not to rinse rice never settles. I ALWAYS rinse rice. Rinsing by gently scrubbing rice with your fingertips not just removes dirt but also the excess starch. The cloudy water you see when you rinse rice is starch and we want to remove the excess starch which will prevent the rice from becoming gluggy.
I personally rinse rice. But after testing multiple times I noticed the texture of rinsed rice isn’t really very different from rice that wasn’t rinsed. The difference is marginal and can be neglected.
It’s really up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not.
Note: rinsing rice only removes surface starch. As rice has starch, it will still be sticky after cooking. But if it’s overly sticky that is due to surface starch which can be removed from rinsing.
IMPORTANT: rinsed rice use 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ¼ cup water.
Not rinsed rice: 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ⅓ cup water.
Use same cup used to measure rice for water too.
How to rinse rice
Place rice in colander. Rinse under tap water by gently rubbing rice with finger tips. Rinse for 1-2 minutes until water from colander runs clear.
Alternatively place rice in large bowl. Pour water until rice is fully submerged in water. Rub gently with finger tips. Drain in colander. Repeat this process three to five times until water in the bowl is clear and not cloudy.
How to cook jasmine rice
If you choose to rinse rice, rinse until water in the bowl is clear.
Add rinsed rice to medium stainless steel sauce pan along with water.
Bring it to rapid simmer on medium high heat. You should see water bubbles tripling in the pan.
Cover pot with glass lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes undisturbed. Avoid the temptation to open lid and check.
Remove pan from the burner and let it rest on counter for 10 minutes without disturbing.
Note: It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
Open lid. Gently fluff rice with silicone or rubber spatula.
Note: check video, rice is not stuck to the pan at the bottom without any need for oil.
Use cooked jasmine rice in any THAI dishes or serve it as side dish with other favorite meals.
Useful tips
- Using the right pan is crucial. Use heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan with lid on.
- It’s really up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not. I ALWAYS rinse rice!
- IMPORTANT: rinsed rice use 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ¼ cup water. Not rinsed rice: 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ⅓ cup water.
- Use same cup used to measure rice for water too.
- Use glass lid. It’s easy to keep a watch on rice without opening the lid or disturbing it.
- Avoid the temptation to open lid and check.
- It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
- Fluff rice with silicone or rubber spatula instead of fork to reduce breakage of rice.
FAQS
Jasmine rice and basmati rice are both medium to long grain rice that comes under the category of “aromatic rice” or “fragrant rice”. While basmati rice is grown in India and Pakistan, Jasmine rice is native to Thailand and Vietnam.
Cooking both variety of rice is almost the same with the same water to rice ratios.
Basmati rice is usually served with Indian curry like butter chicken, eggplant curry or lentils curry.
Jasmine rice can be used to make any Thia dishes like Thai fried rice or can be paired with any Asian style curries like Thai Panang curry, cashew chicken, Mongolian chicken.
I always pick Thai brand jasmine rice. There are a lot of brands in the market, and every country and region has different brands available. Choose your most trusted and available Thai or Asian brand near you.
Yes, but with very minute margin.
Rinsed rice use 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ¼ cup water.
Not rinsed rice: 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ⅓ cup water.
Use same cup used to measure rice for water too.
Heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan (size depending on quantity of rice you cook) is best.
Heavy cast iron French oven is the next choice if you don’t have heavy bottomed stainless steel pot.
OTHER RICE SIDE DISH RECIPES:
- Easy rice pilaf
- Homemade seasoned rice
- Steamed rice
- Thai pineapple fried rice
- Turmeric yellow rice
- Best Cilantro Lime Rice
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Garlic Rice
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📋How to cook jasmine rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Thai jasmine rice
- 1 ¼ cup water
Instructions
- If you choose to rinse rice, rinse until water in the bowl is clear.
- Add rinsed rice to medium stainless steel sauce pan along with water.
- Bring it to rapid simmer on medium high heat. You should see water bubbles tripling in the pan.
- Cover pot with glass lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes undisturbed. Avoid the temptation to open lid and check.
- Remove pan from the burner and let it rest on counter for 10 minutes without disturbing.Note: It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
- Open lid. Gently fluff rice with silicone or rubber spatula.Note: check video, rice is not stuck to the pan at the bottom without any need for oil.
- Use cooked jasmine rice in any THAI dishes or serve it as side dish with other favorite meals.
Video
Notes
- Using the right pan is crucial. Use heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan with lid on.
- It’s really up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not. I ALWAYS rinse rice!
- IMPORTANT: rinsed rice use 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ¼ cup water. Not rinsed rice: 1 cup jasmine rice: 1 ⅓ cup water.
- Use same cup used to measure rice for water too.
- Use glass lid. It’s easy to keep a watch on rice without opening the lid or disturbing it.
- Avoid the temptation to open lid and check.
- It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
- Fluff rice with silicone or rubber spatula instead of fork to reduce breakage of rice.
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