Elate

Elate is a basmati label sold in the large sack format that families and small caterers buy. Its premium basmati follows the classic style: long grains that lengthen further as they cook, a natural fragrance, and a dry, fluffy finish that keeps each grain apart on the plate.

Elate sits in our basmati rice collection, part of basmati and long grain rice. Basmati is usually aged after harvest to dry the grain, which helps it cook evenly and stay firm, and premium grades are sorted for long, whole grains with few broken pieces.

Use Elate for jeera rice, peas pulao and plain rice with rajma, chicken curry or karahi. For biryani, parboil the soaked rice until it is about three quarters done, then layer it over the meat or vegetable masala and finish on dum. Gujarati homes serve basmati with dal and kadhi for festive meals, and Punjabi families cook it with chole for a Sunday lunch. Leftover basmati turns into a good egg fried rice the next day.

Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs almost clear, which washes off loose starch, and soak it for around half an hour. Store the sack sealed and raised off the floor, with a scoop kept inside so no one reaches in with wet hands. To compare, browse our easy cook rice and the Akash shelf.