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Grain Expectations — Fluffy Mexican-style basmati rice

Fluffy Mexican-style basmati rice. Read the full method and preparation notes before starting.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup basmati rice, using a standard US measuring cup rather than a rice-cooker cup
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or butter
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or less if the chicken broth is salty
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño brine, optional

Method
 

  1. Rinse the basmati rice through 4 to 5 changes of water, until the water is mostly clear. Drain it well and let it sit in a strainer for 10 minutes if time allows.
  2. Heat the avocado oil or butter in a stainless-steel skillet over medium-low heat. Add the drained rice and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains look dry and slightly glossy. Do not brown the rice.
  3. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir for about 30 seconds.
  5. Transfer the rice mixture to the rice cooker. Add the chicken broth, water, and salt. Stir once, then stop stirring.
  6. Run the normal White Rice cycle. When the cooker switches to Warm, leave the lid closed for 10 minutes.
  7. Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Fold in the chopped pickled jalapeños and optional jalapeño brine after the resting period.

Notes

Use a standard US measuring cup for the rice, not the small rice-cooker cup. Basmati gives a looser result than jasmine. Thorough rinsing, draining, toasting, and using only 1 1/4 cups total liquid are the keys to separate grains. Keep the onion modest because it releases moisture. Add pickled jalapeños after cooking so they stay bright and crisp rather than dissolving into the rice.
A reliable serving count is not specified in the saved source.
No reliable overall time is supplied here. Include any marinating, resting or overnight preparation described in the method.
Where shown, times and yields are saved source estimates, not measured kitchen-test results.