Rice is the most important staple food of the country consumed by about 65 per cent of the population, as noted in a June 2021 paper. It is grown in almost all the states, however, the major rice producing states with respect to their share in total rice production of the country during 2018-19 are West Bengal (13.79 %).

I gravitate towards rice when I'm cooking for a crowd because of two reasons. One, it's easier to cook in large quantities without too much prep. Two, it involves very little active time which means I can focus on the other dishes or spend time with my guests or have a glass of wine.

Making perfectly cooked, fluffy rice without a rice cooker, can be tricky. In this video, I'm going to show you my foolproof method to get it right, every single time.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Basmati rice

2. 1.5 - 2 cups water (depends on brand of rice)

3. (Optional) 1 tbsp Ghee

Tips:

1. Soak long grain rice if you want it to cook faster and expand even more. 20 minutes to an hour is enough.

2. Wash the rice throughly before cooking.

3. Steam the rice with the stove off for at least 10 minutes before serving.