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Cooking guide
Long, separate, every time
Three things decide how basmati turns out: the rinse, the soak and the water. Here is the right amount of each for every Hima rice.
At a glance
Soak, water and timing
| Rice | Soak | Absorption method | Boil & drain | Dum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | 60–75 minutes | 1 cup rice : 2 cups water (absorption) | 6–8 minutes, then drain | 10–12 minutes |
| Sela | 2 hours (or 45 minutes in warm water) | 1 cup rice : 2¼ cups water (absorption) | 10–12 minutes, then drain | 15–20 minutes |
| Original | 30 minutes | 1 cup rice : 1½ cups water (absorption) | 5–6 minutes, then drain | 8–10 minutes |
| Regular | 20 minutes | 1 cup rice : 1¾ cups water (absorption) | 8–9 minutes, then drain | 8–10 minutes |
The method
Five steps
- Rinse three or four times, swirling gently with your fingers, until the water runs almost clear. This removes surface starch — the cause of sticky rice.
- Soak for the time in the table. Soaked grain absorbs water evenly and grows longer instead of breaking.
- Choose your method. Absorption (measured water, lid on) for pulao; boil and drain in plenty of salted water for biryani and plain rice.
- Stop at 80% when boiling for biryani — the grain should still have a firm core. It finishes on the dum.
- Rest under a lid on the lowest heat, then fluff from the side with a flat spoon. Stirring breaks long grains.
Common mistakes
Why rice goes wrong
Sticky or mushy
Not rinsed enough, too much water, or stirred while cooking. Rinse until the water clears and stop stirring once the rice is in.
Broken grains
Skipped the soak, or boiled too hard after the rice went in. Soak fully and keep it at a steady, rolling — not violent — boil.
Hard centre
Sela especially needs its full soak. If the core is still hard, sprinkle 3–4 tablespoons of hot water and give it 5 more minutes of dum.