Plain Boiled Rice
Pat Chapman's Curry Club Indian Restaurant Cookbook
I have used this method hundreds of times whether cooking for a hundred or one. It works superbly and will produce fluffy tasty rice every time. But it is one of the few recipes in the book which requires precision timing. It is essential that you concentrate on this, and nothing else, or the rice may overcook and become stodgy. And these's nothing worse than stodgy rice. 3 oz (75 g) rice provides a good helping per person. If you onloy want a small helping use 2 oz (50 g) per person.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
12 oz (350 g) Basmati rice
1 generous litre (2 pints water) water
Method
1. Pick through the rice to remove grit and particles.
2. Boil the water. it is not necessary to salt it.
3. While it is heating up rinse briskly with fresh cold water until most of the starch is washed out. Run hot water through the rice at the final rinse. This minimises the temperature reduction of the boiling water when you put the rice into it.
4. When the water is boiling properly, pour the rice into the pan. Start timing. Put the lid on the pan until the water comes back to the boil, then remove.
5. It takes 8-10 minutes from the start. Stir frequently.
6. After about 6 minutes, taste a few grains. As soon as the centre is no longer brittle, but still has a good al dente bite to it, strain off the water. It should seem slightly undercooked.
7. Place the strainer under the cold tap and cool the rice down. This stops it cooking further. Shake off all excess water, then place the strainer onto a dry tea towel which will help remove the last of the water.
8. After about 10 minutes, put the rice in a dish and into a low oven or warming drawer for about half an hour. As it dries, the grains will separate and become fluffy.
