If you are getting bored with always serving the same white rice as a side dish with your meals, then it’s time to step out of the box.
Or the package.
While white rice is by far the most commonly found product, there are many kinds of rice on the market.
For instance, try Thai jasmine white rice to literally spice up your homemade dinners. This different style of the grain will provide you with a tasty alternative while keeping the creativity in your meals.
After all, if you cook at home a lot, it quickly becomes a drag to come up with something exciting and different to fix each day. How often do you stare stare at the fridge or inside an open cabinet and say to yourself “what can I make tonite? What is something out of the ordinary that myself and my family will enjoy?” Thai jasmine rice could well be the answer to your food prep questions.
Of course, Thai jasmine rice is just not for dinner. It can also be a nice addition to lunch or, if you stir in an egg enjoyed, for breakfast.
What Is Thai Jasmine Rice?
Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice grown primarily grows in Southeast Asia and particularly in Thailand, thus giving it its name. It is also known as Thai fragrant rice because of its pleasant popcorn-like smell. This is due to the presence of a molecule called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.
Jasmine rice is grown primarily in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and southern Vietnam. It is moist and soft in texture when cooked,with a slightly sweet flavor. The grains cling and are somewhat sticky when cooked. It is about three times stickier than American long-grain rice.
There is both white jasmine rice and brown jasmine rice.
The vast majority of jasmine rice exported overseas to North America and Europe is Thai jasmine rice,
The Difference Between Thai Jasmine and Basmati Rice
While both are long-grain aromatic rice varieties, Basmati Rice is longer and tends to cook up larger than Jasmine. Thai jasmine has a subtle buttery aroma with a soft, slightly sticky texture, perfect for a recipe like Thai sticky rice with mango.
Basmati has a fragrant and floral aroma that cooks up fluffy.
How To Cook Thai Jasmine Rice
Unlike more common American white rice that takes a precise 2-to-1 ratio of water to rice, the perfect Thai Jasmine rice ratio is 1½:1. Pour the liquid into a pot, bring to a boil, add the rice, cover and then set to simmer. Remove after approximately 20 minutes.
For slightly drier rice, use ¼ cup less water per each cup of rice and to make it moister use ¼ more water per cup of rice. The Mahatma Rice can also be microwaved.
Try These Tricks To Add More Flavor To The Rice
Instead of using water to boil, use another more flavorful liquid. Chicken or beef stock works great. In Thailand, some traditional Thai recipes use coconut milk, which makes for a creamier texture. Or simply different flavors and spices to the water.
Different Varieties Of Jasmine Thai Rice
In addition to Jasmine Thai, Mahatma also makes premium blends of jasmine with quinoa or red & wild rice.
Get creative use a combination of Long Grain and Jasmine Rice perfectly crafted for making fried rice dishes.
Health Benefits Of Thai Jasmine Rice
This variety of rice is not only gluten free but also non-GMO Project Verified and its suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets as well as free of MSG and other added preservatives.
For those looking to add more whole grains to their diet, try Thai Jasmine Brown Rice, which still has the bran layer intact.
Different Uses For Thai Jasmine Rice
The ways to utilize Thai Jasmine rice are as endless as the grains themselves. They can be part of the main dish or served as a tasty side dish. It’s as versatile a dish as there is available on the marketplace.
Here are some ways to use Thai Jasmine rice.
• As A Main Dish
Take the rice and stir in your favorite meats, fish and/or vegetables to make a complete meal. You can go fully Thai spicy or tone it done to satisfy the more subtle American palate (unless you live in a spicy state such as Texas, of course).
If you have a wok, you can stir it up like they do in Asian restaurants. Otherwise, take the cooked rice and place into a frying pan with the other ingredients. The result is pretty much the same: a very tasty dinner.
Add beans to it and Cajun spices and make a delicious homemade version of red beans and rice. Add shrimp, chicken or even gator to it and you’ve got a New Orleans-style full. meal.
• As A Side Dish
Rice makes for a great side dish, either served plain or with the addition of flavors in the cooking process. With a salad and a main dish, it’s all you need to round out a complete and delicious meal.
• As Breakfast
A lot of Asian cultures believe having rice for breakfast is a great way to start the day. Stir in some eggs and other breakfast items (heck, add bacon if you like!) and you’ve got a different, creative “most important meal of the day.”
It can also be a different type of side dish to eggs or an omelette, breaking the routine of always having potatoes.
• As Leftovers
One cool trick is to make several servings at one time, refrigerate the leftovers and then serve the next evening or two as leftovers. You can change the meats and/or veggies served with it to create a whole new meal. Just don’t refrigerate your rice more than a few days.
As good as it tastes, tho, you’re likely to gobble it up quickly and not face that situation.
Where To Buy Thai Jasmine Rice
This product is widely available in grocery and speciality stores across the globe.
Leave a Reply