Prince Foods

Prince Foods is a rice label we carry for its creamy sella basmati, one of the most dependable styles of rice for cooking in quantity. Sella rice is basmati that has been parboiled in its husk before milling, which sets the starch inside the grain so it cooks up firm, long and separate.

The Prince Foods line sits in our sella basmati rice collection, part of basmati and long grain rice. Sella comes in two colours: creamy sella is parboiled lightly and stays pale, while golden sella is processed with more heat and keeps a deeper yellow tint. Prince Foods is the creamy style, closer in look to ordinary white basmati.

Pakistani and Hyderabadi cooks often choose sella for biryani, because the grains survive layering and dum cooking without breaking, and restaurants use it for pilau rice that sits in a warmer for hours. It also suits Afghan kabuli pulao, Arab mandi and kabsa, and fried rice made from rice cooked the day before. Sella needs a longer soak and more water than ordinary basmati, so it rewards cooks who follow the pack timing.

Soak sella for at least half an hour, or an hour for biryani, and cook it in plenty of salted boiling water before draining. Store the bag sealed in a dry cupboard, where parboiled rice keeps for a long time. To compare styles, browse our basmati rice and easy cook rice.