Part 3: Steaming (dum)
(Optional step: Preheat a flat pan, like a tava, over a medium heat, and once it’s warm, place it under the pot you’ll be steaming the rice in. This helps prevent overly dry or burnt rice at the bottom. See the images below if this visual doesn’t quite make sense)
Turn the heat down as low as you can get it.
Using the same pot, heat some butter, oil or ghee – 1 teaspoon for every 1 cup (200g) of rice. This is optional, but highly recommended.
Add back the drained basmati rice, and very gently fold the butter/oil/ghee into the rice, so it’s evenly dispersed.
Place a tight-fitting lid on. Ideally, line the lid with a clean tea towel – you can use foil or cling film if you don’t have a clean tea towel. Here’s how this set up will look like:
So that’s the pre-heated flat pan at the bottom (which again, is optional but highly recommended), then your pot of rice, topped off with a tight lid lined with either a clean tea towel, foil or cling film.
Allow the rice to sit over this very low heat for 15-20 minutes. During this time, do not remove the lid or disturb it.
This step is crucial to get that fluffy, pillow-y soft texture.
Once the time is up, you can remove the lid and fluff the rice up using that flat slotted spoon or rice paddle.
Your fluffy, soft and fragrant basmati rice is ready.
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