Basmati & Long Grain Rice

This is the long grain end of our rice and grains aisle. Basmati rice, grown across the Punjab of India and Pakistan, is the aromatic one, prized for grains that stretch to nearly twice their length when cooked. Sella basmati has been parboiled in the husk, which turns it golden or creamy and makes it very hard to overcook, so it is the rice most biryani houses use.

Jasmine rice from Thailand, sold as hom mali, cooks soft and slightly clinging, the right texture for eating with chopsticks or a spoon of green curry. Easy cook rice is parboiled long grain that stays separate in a curry house style pilau or a big tray bake.

Choosing between them comes down to the dish. For biryani and anything layered, pick extra long aged basmati or sella; for plain rice with dal, an everyday basmati grade is enough; for Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese food, jasmine; for large batches that must hold warm, easy cook. Small bags suit a first try, while big sacks make sense once you know the grain you like.

For fluffy basmati, rinse three or four times, soak for half an hour, then cook in plenty of salted water and drain, or use one and a half cups of water per cup of soaked rice under a tight lid. Sella wants a longer soak, closer to an hour, and a few extra minutes in the pan.