The 10 Best Basmati Rice Brands for Curry and Pilaf

Are you ready to try a new type of rice that is fluffy and soft, rather than sticky and moist like most other rice? When you choose the best brand of basmati rice, you can experience a whole new world of dishes that aren’t possible with jasmine or sticky rice. Even if you’ve never tried this type of rice, it’s a healthy option that may end up being a staple in your pantry once you do.

Everything You Need to Know About Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is a type of rice that is traditionally used in Indian entrees, side dishes, desserts, and more. It comes in both white rice and brown rice, although white rice is what you are more likely to have access to. However, brown rice has a nuttier flavor, is higher in fiber, and introduces a more pronounced flavor; it also needs to cook longer than white basmati rice does.

If you don’t know much about basmati rice, have no fear. We’re going to share all the essential knowledge you need to purchase from the best basmati rice brand so you can enjoy this sort of fluffy and soft grain.

What Makes Basmati Rice Different from Regular White Rice

The best way to explain how basmati rice is unique from other rice is to compare it to jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is a food that is most often grown and used in Asian countries like Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has a fragrant aroma, as does basmati rice, but it is also a much stickier type of rice. Basmati rice tends to have cleaner grains and far less starch than jasmine rice does.

In most cases, basmati rice is produced in the Himalayas and is a long-grain rice. It’s commonly used in Indian dishes but will also be seen in cuisine from across South Asia. It is often served with roasted or braised meats, curries, and biryani, although it does have other uses.

This rice can be served plain without any additional ingredients, or it may come flavored with saffron or turmeric, both of which make the rice a bright and lively yellow color. It has a flavor best described as nutty and a mildly floral aroma that can be compared to jasmine rice. However, its grain is softer while jasmine is a bit nuttier in taste.

As mentioned, this rice can come in white and brown versions, with the white version having no bran or germ, while the brown rice has all these ingredients and offers additional nutrients. Since the bran provides fatty acids and fiber, brown basmati is the healthier of the two options. It also is firmer and has a nuttier flavor.

Compared to all other rice, basmati has the longest grains, and during cooking, they tend to get even longer. The rice is also very narrow and has a pointed end, rather than a rounded one like most other rice varieties.

While you may see recipes that recommend soaking basmati rice, this isn’t needed. The best basmati rice brand will be aged for a year, two years, or more, which dries it out and helps concentrate the aromas and flavors it offers. If you soak it, those things are all reversed, and it will create a stickier rice, like jasmine rice.

The thing that makes basmati rice stand out is that it has a fluffy and light consistency where the grains separate rather than clumping together in a ball. While soaking isn’t recommended, rinsing it is still a good idea. This will remove starch on the surface, which helps prevent excess stickiness.

Health Benefits Associated with Basmati Rice

While some people believe that all rice is unhealthy, this isn’t entirely true. Basmati rice has many health benefits that you may not be aware of. It contains everything from fiber to minerals and vitamins, along with protein, carbohydrates, and a limited amount of fat.

Due to the many micro and macronutrients in basmati rice, it can be part of a healthy diet. It contains vitamins such as potassium, copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins B1, B6, E, and K. To get an idea of what health benefits this rice can provide, we’ve listed a few examples below.

• Diabetic Friendly Food – While pasta and rice can be foods to limit for someone with diabetes, basmati rice has a lower glycemic index. The large amount of protein, fiber, amylase, and starch-based carbs combine to prevent the increase of blood sugar. This means that insulin responses will be lowered after a meal with this ingredient.
• Heart Healthy Rice – Compared to other rice, basmati has a lower amount of saturated fat, which makes it a healthier food where your heart is concerned. It also includes unsaturated fats which contain less bad cholesterol and can prevent clotting. The fiber contained in this rice help helps promote a healthy cardiovascular system.
• May Help Prevent Cancer – When you compare basmati rice to typical brown rice, the former has much more fiber. This additional fiber is beneficial as it can help prevent the formation of cancer cells, especially in the case of colon cancer and breast cancer.
• Can Support Weight Loss – You may have been told that rice creates weight gain, but boiled basmati rice is an exception to the rule. The fiber in the rice can help you maintain a healthy weight since it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. It also has large amounts of amylose, which is more difficult for the human body to digest.
• Helps Aid Digestion – Again, the fiber in the best brand of basmati rice can help with another bodily function: digestion. The soluble fiber helps move material through your system and may rectify issues like constipation.
• Control of Blood Pressure – Eating brown basmati rice regularly is also helpful for those who have been diagnosed with hypertension. This kind of rice contains large amounts of potassium and magnesium, both of which are attributed to reducing blood pressure.

As you can see, there are many ways that basmati rice can improve your health, rather than causing problems with it. Not only can it help you drop the calories you eat and ensure you stay where you need to be on the glycemic index, but it can also taste great in many dishes. This rice lets you enjoy great meals while improving your health for the future.

Options for Preparing the Best Basmati Rice

Are you ready to jump into things and make your first pan of basmati rice? Great! There are actually several different options for cooking this healthy and hearty rice variety.

The truth is that basmati rice cooks much like other types of rice so it can be prepared in a pan on the stove, cooked in the microwave, or tossed in a rice cooker for the most convenient preparation option. Since the most common way to prepare this rice is on the stovetop, we’ll be sharing the method for cooking it in that way.

• As mentioned earlier, you do not need to soak basmati rice—that can actually lead to lesser quality rice when all is said and done. However, rinsing the rice off is a good idea to remove excess starch and any debris on the rice. This is a simple process that involves pouring water over the rice and running your hands over it to ensure it’s clean.
• Once the rice has been rinsed properly, the next step is to start getting the stove set up. Check the package for the rice you have to determine how much water and rice is recommended. If you aren’t sure, each cup of rice that you use should generally be combined with about 1 ½ to two cups of water. At this time, add the water to your saucepan or pot.
• Next up, you want to crank up the heat to high and get the water boiling. Add around a teaspoon of salt into the water, as it will help season the rice you will get to enjoy at the end of this process.
• Once you have your water at a boil, it’s time to change things up a little bit. Once large bubbles are breaking on the surface of the water, you can go ahead and add the basmati rice into the pan. This will stop the bubbling in the pot, so do not worry about changing the heat just yet.
• Now you want to stir the rice and water mixture until it comes back to a full boil. Use a wooden spoon (or another heat-safe spoon) to stir the mixture until it is boiling yet again. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
• After you see boiling again, it’s time to turn the stove to low heat. This should lead to the water in the pot simmering rather than creating more large bubbles to break on the surface.
• At this point, take the lid for your pot and place it on top. You’ll want to allow the rice to cook for around 15 minutes on low heat. Remember that some brands will have special instructions, so adhere to those if they are present. You shouldn’t take the lid off yet since it will remove the steam that is cooking the rice.
• After the 15 minutes are up, you can take the pot off of the stove and let it stand for around five minutes. Once it has sat for that period of time, you can open up the lid and use a fork or chopsticks to fluff up your rice. This helps remove large clumps and gives the rice a light and fluffy texture.

Typical Recipes and Variations on Basmati Rice

You now have the knowledge to cook your rice on the stove, which means you should be aware of some recipes that basmati rice works well in. While there are hundreds of recipes that incorporate basmati rice, we just want to share a few favorites that you can build off of and try to get a feel for the ingredient.

• Plain Basmati Rice – This rice can be eaten as-is for a snack or a side dish, or you can add extra ingredients such as herbs, butter, and black pepper.
• Fried with Vegetables and Chicken – If you enjoy stir-fry, basmati rice might be the perfect option for you. You can fry this rice in the same way as sushi rice and add in vegetables and meat for an entire entrée to fill up the whole family.
• Basmati Rice with Herbs – As a side dish, basmati rice can be mixed together with all sorts of herbs like green onions, fresh basil, and fresh thyme. Cook all the ingredients together in a pot with a tight lid, and you’ll have a side dish for any night of the week in just a few minutes.
• Saffron Basmati Rice – This recipe adds additional fragrance through the addition of saffron. The saffron will dissolve into boiling water to create a rice that is a vibrant, bright orange.
• Indian Style Basmati Rice – This rice is created with flavors like cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin, and cardamom. It offers a pleasant aroma and a unique taste that will provide something different at your next meal.

The most important thing to take away from these options is that you can experiment and find some tasty dishes using basmati rice. If you want more choices, you can effortlessly search the Internet for recipes using basmati rice that you can add your meal plan. Or you can just mix and match ingredients you enjoy and see what you can come up with on your own.

Conclusion

Now that you have an idea of what the best basmati rice brand is, how to prepare it, what it can do for your health, and more, it’s time to take a leap and purchase some for your next special meal. Whether you want the very best, something for a small budget, or something in between, there are plenty of options to consider. 

Basmati rice isn’t just another rice; it’s a genuinely unique ingredient that brings a lot to the table. Decide what your needs are, get the rice that matches those needs, and see how it changes your life and cooking style. You may be surprised by how useful this little ingredient is once you’ve tried it a time or two.