Rinse, soak, drain, rest, says our panel of culinary experts

“People are intimidated by cooking rice, because there are many different ways to do it,” says Will Bowlby, chef and co-founder of Kricket in London. “There are no set rules.” That said, he adds, it’s all about ratios, and about handling the rice correctly: “Then it’s pretty straightforward.”

Whether we’re talking basmati or another long-grain rice, it’s crucial to rinse it in cold water first, to get rid of its starchy coating: “If too much of that is left behind, it might cause the rice to turn a bit wet and sticky,” Bowlby explains. Once the water is running clear, soak the rice for a little while. However, as the Guardian’s Felicity Cloake found on her quest for the perfect basmati rice, there are differing opinions on how long you should do this for. She tried half an hour, an hour and three hours, only to conclude that: “There’s little to choose between the three soaked grains, but it’s definitely more evenly cooked, and easier to separate than non-soaked, which seems dry and clumpy in comparison”.

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