Flavourful Basmati Rice

As promised in my last post, here is the recipe for my perfectly aromatic basmati rice. The perfect complement  to my 'Minty Minced Lamb' dish.

For the rice, you will need:

• 2 cups of white basmati rice
• 5 cardamom pods, cracked to release flavour
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 a teaspoon of cracked black peppercorns
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
• Hot water, boiled

Instructions:

1.  Fill you kettle and put it on to boil.

2.  While your kettle is boiling, wash your rice (in the pot you are going to cook it in) underneath a running tap (for best results I use the hot tap, much faster) until the water runs clear. Apparently, this removes some of the excess starch in the rice. I have personally found that by rinsing rice before cooking, it gives the grains that fluffy, loose and less clumped together texture. It can also be better for digestion (or at least it does in my case).

3.  Place your pot on the hob and add your cardamom pods, whole cloves, cracked black peppercorns and salt into the pot with your rice. Stir.

4.  Turn on the hob and pour in enough hot water from the kettle to cover the rice (about an inch above rice level). Stir again and once the water comes to a boil, cover your pot with a lid and turn the heat down low and simmer until the water has been absorbed and the rice has cooked. This should take around 10 minutes.

If you missed my last post, you can find the link to the perfect accompaniment to this rice dish, here.