Baked Basmati Rice with Mint is a foolproof way of making the perfect side dish (by foolproof I mean it’s a simple recipe to follow and the rice comes out perfectly each and every time). It’s baked in the oven, an unfamiliar way for me to cook rice, but I found this method very easy and its actually a very handy alternative for those who don’t have a rice cooker. Just make sure to measure out the ingredients well because cooking rice always requires the perfect water to rice ratio (this is usually 2:1).
This recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi’s Simple cookbook, page 171. I’ve simplified the recipe by leaving out the olive salsa. By doing so it allows the Baked Basmati Rice with Mint to do what it’s meant to do….accompany its main dish and just be the great side dish that it is.
Baked Basmati Rice with Mint
A foolproof recipe for baked basmati rice. It's flavored with a hint of mint which goes well with many Middle Eastern dishes.
Ingredients
- 400g basmati rice
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
- 800ml boiling water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 15g fresh mint (left on the sprigs)
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 230 °C (446°F) or as high as your oven will go.
- Step 2 Wash rice (rinse with water and drain 3-4 times).
- Step 3 Place washed rice in a high-sided ovenproof dish, measuring 20-30cm. Add melted butter, boiling water, salt and black pepper. Top with a few mint sprigs, allowing the sprigs to be submerged into the liquid.
- Step 4 Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil so that the hot steam stays inside the dish. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Step 5 Remove from oven and let it sit on the countertop for 5-10 minutes. Remove the foil.
- Step 6 Serve as is. Alternatively you can remove the mint sprigs, fluff the rice and sprinkle freshly chopped mint over the rice before serving.