Rinsed, measured, lid on, left alone. Four rules, and none of them need a rice cooker.
How do you cook jasmine rice?
Rinse 300 g of jasmine rice until the water runs almost clear, then simmer it with 450 ml of cold water in a covered pan for 10 minutes on the lowest heat. Rest it off the heat for another 10 minutes with the lid on, then fluff with a fork. Serves four.
The rice to water ratio
Use 1.5 times the weight of the rice in water. So 300 g of rice takes 450 ml, and 200 g takes 300 ml. Jasmine is a softer grain than basmati and needs less water, which is why recipes written for basmati leave it wet.
| Rice | Water | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| 150 g | 225 ml | 2 |
| 300 g | 450 ml | 4 |
| 450 g | 675 ml | 6 |
Rinsing matters here. Unrinsed rice holds surface water, so the same measurement gives you a wetter pan.
Do you need to rinse jasmine rice?
Yes. Rinsing washes off loose surface starch, which is what makes rice claggy and glue the grains together. Cover the rice with cold water, swirl with your hand, pour off the cloudy water, and repeat three or four times until it runs almost clear.
Drain it properly afterwards. Water clinging to the grains counts towards your 450 ml.
Step by step on the hob
- Rinse 300 g of jasmine rice three or four times and drain well.
- Tip it into a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid. Add 450 ml of cold water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to the boil uncovered over a high heat.
- Put the lid on, drop the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
- Take the pan off the heat, lid still on, and leave for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
The resting step is not optional. It lets the steam finish the grains at the top of the pan, which is where undercooked rice always is.
In a rice cooker
Rinse as above, add the same 1.5 to 1 ratio of water to rice by weight, and press the white rice setting. Most cookers hold the rice at temperature afterwards, so the ten minute rest happens on its own. Fluff before the lid comes off for good.
Jasmine rice or basmati?
Jasmine is a Thai long grain rice that cooks soft and slightly sticky with a floral smell. Basmati is Indian, drier and more separate, with a nuttier flavour. Jasmine suits Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food. Basmati suits curries and pilaus. For a darker, nuttier grain, see how to cook black rice, which needs more water and a longer cook.
| Jasmine | Basmati | |
|---|---|---|
| Water to rice | 1.5 to 1 by weight | 1.75 to 1 by weight |
| Texture | Soft, faintly sticky | Dry, separate |
| Grain | Stays short and plump | Lengthens as it cooks |
| Best for | Stir fries, Thai curries | Indian curries, biryani |
More tips for jasmine rice on the hob
Jasmine rice is what most people in China, Thailand, Vietnam, and across South-East Asia eat every day. It has a light floral smell and soft, slightly sticky grains when cooked correctly. Getting it right on the hob is simple once you understand a few things about how rice absorbs water.
Wash the rice first
This step matters. Place your rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and swirl it with your hand. The water will turn cloudy white from the surface starch. Drain and repeat two or three times until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess starch that would otherwise make the cooked rice heavy and sticky in the wrong way.
The water ratio
A reliable ratio for hob cooking is one cup of jasmine rice to one and a quarter cups of cold water. If you prefer slightly softer rice, use one and a half cups of water. The exact ratio can vary slightly by brand and how old the rice is, but this is a good starting point for most jasmine rice sold in the UK.
How to cook it
Put the washed rice and measured water into a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat without the lid. As soon as it boils and you can see steam, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and put the lid on firmly. Cook for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid during cooking — the steam trapped inside is what finishes the rice.
After 12 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the rice, still covered, for a further 10 minutes. This resting time lets the rice finish cooking in its own steam and makes the grains fluffier.
Fluff and serve
After the rest, remove the lid and use a fork or rice paddle to gently separate the grains. Do not stir aggressively or the rice will clump. Serve straight away.
Common mistakes
Lifting the lid during cooking lets the steam escape and the rice will be undercooked and dry at the edges. Cooking on too high a heat burns the bottom before the top is done. Using too much water makes the rice wet and mushy. Not resting the rice means the grains are wet and compressed rather than fluffy.
Storing and reheating cooked rice
Cool cooked rice as fast as you can, ideally within an hour, then refrigerate and eat it within a day. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, and only once. Rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores that survive cooking and multiply while the rice sits at room temperature.
Day old rice from the fridge is what you want for egg fried rice, because the drier grains fry instead of steaming.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you cook jasmine rice for?
Ten minutes on the lowest heat with the lid on, then ten minutes resting off the heat. Twenty minutes in total. Cooking longer with the heat on burns the base before the top is done.
Why is my jasmine rice sticky and wet?
Too much water, or the rice was not rinsed. Drop to 1.5 times the rice weight in water and rinse until the water runs almost clear. Lifting the lid partway through also lets steam escape and throws the balance off.
Do you salt the water for jasmine rice?
A pinch is enough, and plenty of cooks leave it out. Rice served with salty stir fry sauces does not need seasoning of its own. Salt it if the rice is going alongside something plain.
Can you cook jasmine rice like regular long grain rice?
Almost. The method is the same but jasmine takes less water and less time than most long grain rice. Follow a standard long grain recipe and you will usually end up with something soggy.
How much water do I need for jasmine rice on the hob?
Use one cup of jasmine rice to one and a quarter cups of cold water. For slightly softer rice, use one and a half cups. Wash the rice first to remove surface starch, which changes how much water it needs.
Can I cook jasmine rice in a rice cooker?
Yes. Use the same one to one and a quarter cup ratio. Most rice cookers have a jasmine or white rice setting. A rice cooker produces consistent results and removes the need to watch the pot.
How long does cooked jasmine rice keep in the fridge?
Up to two days in an airtight container. Cool it as quickly as possible after cooking and refrigerate within one hour. Cold leftover rice is ideal for fried rice, as it fries better than freshly cooked rice.
Want exact amounts? Our rice and water calculator works out the rice, water and timings for any number of people.
