Shaheen

Shaheen is a rice label focused on Thai jasmine rice, including hom mali, the Thai name for the fragrant long grain grown mainly in the north east of Thailand. Jasmine rice is softer and stickier than basmati, and its gentle aroma, often compared to pandan, is part of what makes a plate of Thai food taste right.

The Shaheen range sits in our jasmine rice collection, part of basmati and long grain rice. Whole grain jasmine is for serving on the plate, and broken jasmine, the pieces sorted out during milling, cooks softer and faster, which suits congee and rice porridge. Both come in family sizes and in larger sacks.

Thai and Filipino households serve jasmine rice with green and red curries, pad kra pao, adobo and grilled meats. Chinese cooks use day-old jasmine rice for egg fried rice, and broken jasmine is simmered with ginger into jook. Broken rice is also the traditional choice for Senegalese thieboudienne, and jasmine makes a soft, fragrant side for Caribbean stews and a South Indian style curd rice.

Rinse jasmine rice once or twice and cook it by absorption, using less water than you would for basmati, then leave it covered off the heat for ten minutes. Store sacks in a dry place, sealed against insects. To compare, browse our basmati rice collection and the Shama shelf.