Microwaved Basmati Rice
This recipe was tested several times using a cheap plastic microwave 'rice cooker', which is a bowl with a fastening double lid. On each occasion it produced a light, very white, fragrant and delicate result. The amount of water in this recipe allows a slight excess that is important for the rice quality. As a result, this method also requires drying of the rice, but is well worth the effort for the consistent…
Ingredients
- 57 g uncooked Basmati rice
- 1 pinch salt
- 300 ml boiling water
Steps
- Add rice and salt to the rice cooker.
- Mix in boiling water. Fit the double lids.
- Microwave, stirring halfway: 700W 13 minutes, or 750W 12 minutes, or 800W 11 minutes, or 850W 10 minutes.
- Stand 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve.
- Spread rice on an oven paper-lined tray. Warm at a very low setting in a conventional oven, turning gently from time to time.
Notes from the original
- Rice water foams when it is near boiling point, and in addition, during microwave 'simmering', more of a switching on and off really, there is a intermittent swelling of the entire wet mixture coincident with each burst of energy; that is, for a few seconds every few seconds. These two matters cause the possibility of water loss. These problems are overcome entirely by the use of a microwave rice cooker, a plastic tight-lid container that is designed to trap foaming while allowing hot air to escape.
- For very small quantities and high power, this recipe can go wrong. The rice will appear to simply suffer from too little water, or not enough cooking, but these problems are just as likely to result from the very short simmer times that small quantities dictate. That is, the times are too short for effective water transport to take place. Because rice cannot absorb water at an unlimited rate, the dependence on calculated power delivery makes sense only when the calculated cooking times exceed the time needed by the rice for absorption. That is to say, using a very high power for a very short time will not necessarily obtain the same result as its longer time equivalent, even for the same delivered energy. When there is a choice, use a lower setting and a longer time for an assured result.
- If you have a power choice, use a lower one rather than the highest, especially when cooking less than 1 serving.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Microwaved Basmati Rice” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-19, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Microwave Rice Maker.JPG by Armchair, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.