15 recipes with basmati rice

Basmati rice is widely used in the cuisine of India, Pakistan and Thailand. It is characterized by its longer, larger, looser, smoother and spongier grain than common rice (after cooking). Its aroma evokes, in some way, fresh bread and popcorn, and when tasted it feels slightly sweet with a touch of nuts. This rice is considered a gourmet food par excellence and there are many reasons for this, but one is because there are varieties that are aged for years, like a good wine. In addition, its nutritional value exceeds common rice in several aspects and it is easier to digest.

Thinking about all of the above, we have compiled for you the best recipes with basmati rice, easy but exquisite, both traditional from the East and very creative vegetarian dishes. An unmissable short recipe book!

Basmati curry rice with carrot

Curry recipes are very common in Indian food, as well as accompanying or preparing them with an aromatic basmati rice. If you feel like tasting this dish, follow these steps:

1. Heat water in a saucepan until it reaches its boiling point. Add 1 star anise and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat.
2. When it boils, add 200 g of basmati rice and cook for 10-12 minutes. Wait until the water evaporates, so it won’t be pasty.
3.  It is also advisable that you previously consult the manufacturer’s recommendations, since each brand has its specifications regarding cooking times.
4. Drain the water and remove the star anise. Reserve the basmati rice.
5. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (better oil for frying, not table). Once hot, add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and fry them. Stir to prevent burning.
6. Add 1 finely chopped onion and mix. Then add 2 carrots peeled and cut into small pieces or strips, stir again.
7. When the carrot changes color, add 1 pinch of salt, 1 tsp. of ginger and 1 tsp. of curry powder. Move again and mix well.
8. Incorporate the riceand, finally, mix all the preparation. You’ll know the rice is ready when it turns an appetizing yellow color.
9. Serve basmati rice with curry as a main dish or as a side dish for meats (of animal or vegetable origin).

This recipe makes 2 servings.

Tip: Basmati rice has many similarities to panda rice. It also resembles jasmine rice in aroma.

Moroccan-style basmati rice

Moroccan food is a fusion between North African, Arabic and Mediterranean food. In this case, the cashews accentuate the nutty flavor of the rice and the raisins its sweetness. The rest of the ingredients complement the salty-sweet flavor of the dish and its accentuated aromatic note, both typical characteristics of oriental food. To make this recipe with basmati rice, follow these steps:

1. Soak 1 handful of raisins in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain them and reserve.
2. Cut 1 carrot and 1 leek into small pieces.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Once hot, sauté the leek and carrot until soft.
4. Add ½ tsp. ground cumin and 1 tsp. grated orange zest. Mix and sauté everything a bit.
5. Add the hydrated raisins plus 1 handful of cashews(cash, cashew, cashew, cashew, cashew, etc.) and ½ tsp. paprika. Cook for a couple more minutes.
6. Add 240 g of basmati rice, fry and stir.
7. Pour 1 tablespoon of agave syrup, ½ teaspoon of salt and 800 ml of vegetable broth or water. You can use homemade vegetable broth.
8. Cook for 20 minutes or until soft.
9. Serve the dish garnished with 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander. You can eat it alone or as a side dish for meats (vegetable or animal meat), vegetables and other recipes.

These amounts make 2 servings. You can check the detailed step by step here: “Moroccan-style rice “.

Tip: You can hydrate the merey, before using it.

Basmati rice salad

If you are looking for basmati rice recipes for salads, this refreshing, nutritious and light recipe combines flavors and textures very well, it is perfect for a light lunch! If you want to prepare this salad, take note of the following steps:

1. Cut 6 cherry tomatoes in half (any salad tomato works) and 1 avocado in squares. Also, drain 1 can of corn and cut 150g of queso fresco or feta into cubes. Reserve them all separately and place it on the work table, so you will use them later to form the salad.
2. Cook 100 g of basmati rice. Make it with the following basmati rice recipe.
3. Finely chop 1 bunch cilantro(leaves only). Then, mix it with the juice of 1 lemon and add a pinch of salt, both ingredients to taste.
4. Assemble the salad. Incorporate the rice into a bowl or salad bowl first, then the cheese, corn and tomato.
5. Mix everything very well and then pour the dressing. Finally, add the avocado, mix again but more carefully, so you avoid mistreating it.

Makes 1 serving. All the details and recommendations here: “Basmati rice salad “.

Masha or Egyptian rice

Mashi is a traditional stew of Egyptian cuisine, which is highly influenced by Mediterranean and African cuisine. Originally, it is served with seasoned meat, but this time we show a recipe with vegetarian basmati rice, which uses seitan instead of animal meat. If you want to prepare Egyptian rice at home, follow these simple steps:

1. Toast these nuts in the pan: 2 tbsp pine nuts, 2 tbsp pistachios and 2 tbsp crushed almonds.
2. Once golden, put them on absorbent paper, so you remove excess fat if you used oil. Booking.
3. Cut 150 g of seitan or animal meat into small cubes and sauté them. Do it in the same pan, without cleaning it, for 4-5 minutes. This vegetable meat is easy to prepare, just check out this homemade seitan recipe.
4. Add 1 tsp. of cinnamon, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 pinch of pepper to a saucepan with 600 ml of water. Integrate everything very well.
5. Add 300 g of basmati rice just when the water starts to boil. Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat. You will know that it is ready when the water evaporates and you feel the rice at its point.
6. Add the nuts to the rice and stir carefully until blended.
7. Serve as a full dish.

Yields 3 servings and you can check out all the details in the Mashi Recipe.

Basmati rice with vegetables

Basmati rice mixed with assorted vegetables provides a unique combination of textures, flavors and aromas. This recipe with basmati rice serves as a side dish for meat and fish and also works as a main dish. If you like this nutritious recipe, check out the following step-by-step:

1. Dice ½ leek, ½ green pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ½ red pepper and 1 peeled carrot. Book it all separately.
2. First fry the leek, the green pepper and the yellow pepper in a pan with 2 tablespoons of hot oil.
3. Then add the red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring.
4. Add the carrot and cook for 5 more minutes. Add ½ heaping tsp. grated or very finely chopped ginger.
5. Separately, cook 200 g of basmati rice in a saucepan with plenty of boiling water, salt to taste and 1 bay leaf. Once the rice is cooked, strain and reserve.
6. Serve basmati rice with vegetables. You can mix the vegetables with the rice until they are unified or serve them individually on the same plate.

Makes 2 servings. Don’t miss all the details of the Basmati Rice with Vegetables Recipe here.

Tip: The cooking time of basmati rice depends on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Indian-style spiced basmati rice

On the one hand, in this dish the nuts accentuate the flavor and aroma of the basmati rice and the spices flavor and sweeten it. On the other, textures are contrasted, one crunchy and the other spongy. A preparation that undoubtedly evokes the essence of Indian cuisine. To prepare this recipe with basmati rice, just follow these easy steps:

1. Put 220 g of basmati rice in a strainer and wash well until the water runs clear.
2. Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Heat ¼ cup of coconut milk(use soy) and add 1 pinch of saffron. Stir, let it rest for a while and reserve.
4. In another pan, pour 1 splash of oil and add 3 anise stars, 3 cardamom pods, 3 cloves and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes and stir.
5. Drain the rice very well and add it to the pan with the spices. Mix until it is impregnated with their oil.
6. Pour 450 ml of water into the panand wait until it reaches its boiling point before continuing with the next step.
7. Add the warm milk with saffron, ½ handful of coriander, 10 chopped mint leaves and 2 bay leaves. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium-low.
8. Cook for 8 minutes, turn off the heat and let the preparation stand for 7-8 minutes (without uncovering).
9. On the other hand, chop 1 handful of nuts and toast them. Booking. If you prefer, you can crush the nuts.
10. If the rest time of the rice has passed, add the chopped nuts. You can mix it all up or just add them on top.
11. Serve this dish as a side dish for vegetables, meats, curries, etc.

Makes 2 servings. Both this and the previous recipes can be made perfectly with brown basmati rice, you just have to keep in mind that the whole-grain versions always require 1 more portion of water. In other words, if twice as much water is needed to cook a portion of basmati rice, three times as much water is required to cook whole basmati rice.

Tip: You don’t need oil to toast the nuts, you can brown them in their own fat.

Basmati rice, chicken and curry

When thinking about recipes with basmati rice and chicken, this is probably one of the first that comes to mind, and it is that in oriental cuisine, as we are seeing throughout the entire article, spices play a fundamental role. If you want to enjoy the flavor of this rice mixed with meat and curry, take note!

1. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan with 1 splash of oil.
2. Sauté 1 chopped onion and add 1 chicken breast cut into cubes.
3.  Before the meat is cooked, add 2 tsp. curry, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add 200 g of basmati rice and stir.
5. Pour 2 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken broth and wait for it to boil.
6. When it boils, cover and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is done.

These amounts yield for 4 people. If you want to make the coconut milk version, don’t miss this other Chicken Curry Recipe with Coconut Milk

Basmati rice with raisins and pine nuts

Looking for recipes with basmati fried rice? Well here’s an easy and delicious one! An oriental-style dish, simple but powerful. The perfect companion for sweet and sour chicken and the like. If you want to taste it, just follow these steps:

1. Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and wait until it boils.
2. Once boiling, add 500 g of basmati rice. Cook only for 8 minutes.
3. After the time, drain the rice.
4.  Wash it under direct tap water to cool it down and also remove any loosened starch. Booking.
5. Brown 200 g of raisins and 100 g of pine nuts.
6. Add a splash of olive oil in advance in a pan and wait until it heats up.
7. Be careful, you must brown the ingredients, not burn them.
8. Fry the rice with the raisins and pine nuts for 5 minutes.
9. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Basmati rice with saffron and almonds

Saffron is a very special spice, considered a delicatessen, as its fragrant aroma characterizes many oriental foods. For this reason, this dish that combines rice, saffron and almonds, a deeply aromatic combination, could not be missing from our list of recipes with basmati rice! If you want to taste it, follow these instructions:

1. Soak ¼ tsp. of saffron threads. Put them in a glass with 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Rinse 400 g of basmati
3. Put the rice to soak, add 2 tablespoons of salt and mix. Let it sit for a couple of hours.
4. After the time, drain, wash and drain again.
5. Add enough water to a medium saucepan plus 2 1/2 tsp. salt. Heat the water until it reaches its boiling point.
6. Stir in the basmati rice as soon as the water starts to boil.
7.  Cook it for the time indicated by the manufacturer (in this case it took 3 minutes to cook).
8. Drain the rice and rinse it with water.
9. Fry 100 g of peeled almonds and 80 g of pitted and chopped dates in 80 g of unsalted butter.
10. Do it in the same pot you used to cook the rice. First fry the almonds until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Then the dates for a couple more minutes.
11. Add ¼ tsp. pepper, ¼ tsp. salt and half of the rice. Mix gently and, once ready, add the rest of the rice.
12. Melt 20g of butter. Add the melted butter over the rice and 3 tablespoons of water.
13. Cook the rice for 20 more minutes, with the pot covered and over low heat.
14. Once ready, pour the saffron with the water. Spread it over the rice with a spoon.
15. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Put the lid on the pot and cover it with a cloth.
16. Serve the freshly prepared rice.