Cumin Ghee Basmati Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The long, separate, unbroken grains you get with your curry at a good Indian restaurant come down to three things: a thorough rinse, a 30-minute soak, and an exact water ratio. Whole cumin seeds bloomed in ghee perfume every grain, and a 10-minute covered rest off the heat finishes the cooking with steam instead of boiling water. No rice cooker required.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup aged white basmati rice (300 g)
• 2 cup water (480 ml), plus more for rinsing and soaking
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta) or regular bay leaf
• 2 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked (optional)
• 1 whole clove (optional)

• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Place the 1½ cups basmati in a bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl with your fingers for 15 seconds — the water will turn chalky white — then pour off. Repeat 4 to 6 times until the water runs nearly clear. This removes loose surface starch, the main cause of gummy, clumped rice.
2. Cover the rinsed rice with 3 inches of cool water and soak for 30 minutes (no longer than 45, or the grains turn fragile). Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and let it sit in the sieve for 10 minutes so the grains shed excess water — this is what makes the 1 : 1.33 cooking ratio reliable.
3. In a heavy 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, and the cardamom and clove if using. Swirl for 30 to 45 seconds, until the cumin darkens a shade and smells nutty and toasted. Do not let it go brown-black or it will taste bitter.
4. Add the drained rice and stir gently with a silicone spatula for 1 to 2 minutes, folding rather than scraping, just until every grain is glossy with ghee. Keep the heat at medium so nothing sticks.
5. Pour in exactly 2 cups water and add the salt. Stir once, level the surface, and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, uncovered, about 3 to 4 minutes. You should see the water drop to just below the rice surface with craters forming.
6. Immediately cover with the lid, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, and cook undisturbed for 11 minutes. Do not lift the lid. If your burner runs hot even on low, set the pan on a heat diffuser or an inverted skillet.
7. Slide the pan off the heat, keep it covered, and rest for 10 full minutes. The residual steam finishes the centers of the grains and lets them firm up so they separate cleanly.
8. Uncover, pull out the bay leaf and any whole spices you can find, and fluff by lifting and turning the rice with a fork from the edges toward the center — never stir in circles. Fold in the cilantro and lemon juice if using, and serve within 20 minutes for the best texture.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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