How to Cook Jasmine Rice — and a Bangkok Hack from Colin's Bar

This is a post about how to cook jasmine rice, and about what to do when you don't have any.

About sixteen years ago I was in Bangkok for a conference — one of those events held inside the hotel where you're staying, which means you never quite see the city. The hotel was on Sukhumvit. After the last session I found the bar: an English-themed place run by a chef called Colin, who told me he'd been headhunted from England. I suspect the truth was rather more romantic than that.

We had a couple of beers. Colin was good company. And somewhere between the first and second pint, he gave me a piece of advice I've never forgotten: if you don't have jasmine rice and you need something close, use jasmine green tea bags to infuse your cooking water first.

I filed it away and didn't think about it again for sixteen years. Then I started cooking Chotika's gaeng hang le — a Northern Thai pork belly curry that needs jasmine rice alongside — and found I didn't have any. Casa Adora's larder runs to long-grain white rice. It does not, as a rule, run to jasmine.

Colin's hack came back immediately.

How to Cook Jasmine Rice — The Method

Jasmine rice is a long-grain variety from Thailand — fragrant, slightly sticky when cooked, with a natural floral aroma. It's the rice that goes alongside Thai curries, stir-fries, and anything in the Southeast Asian tradition. If you have it, this is the method.

Ingredients — serves 1:

• 185g jasmine rice
• 350ml water
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1 — Rinse. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes surface starch and prevents the rice from becoming gluey.

2 — Bring to a simmer. Put the rinsed rice in a small saucepan with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.

3 — Cook low and slow. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, put the lid on, and leave for 12 to 15 minutes. Don't lift the lid.

4 — Rest. Take off the heat and leave, lid still on, for 5 minutes. The steam finishes the job.

5 — Fluff and serve. Fork through gently and serve immediately.

The Green Tea Hack — When You Don't Have Jasmine Rice

This is Colin's contribution — and once you know it, you know how to cook jasmine rice from whatever you have in the larder.

The key is the pre-brew. Green tea becomes bitter and astringent if it boils for the full time it takes to cook rice. Brew the tea first, remove the bags, then use the infused water to cook the rice.

Ingredients — serves 1:

• 185g long-grain white rice
• 350ml water
• 1–2 jasmine green tea bags
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1 — Pre-brew the tea. Bring the measured water to the boil, turn off the heat, and drop in the tea bags.

2 — Steep for 3 minutes. Leave for exactly 3 minutes. Do not squeeze the bags when you remove them — squeezing releases bitter tannins. Discard the bags.

3 — Rinse the rice. While the tea steeps, rinse the rice under cold water until clear.

4 — Cook as normal. Pour the jasmine-infused water into the pan, add the rinsed rice and a pinch of salt, and cook as per the method above.

The result is rice with a subtle pale green tint and a delicate floral flavour — not identical to jasmine rice, but a very good companion to Thai dishes, stir-fries, and anything with ginger, garlic or soy.

This is what went alongside the gaeng hang le. For more rice ideas, the Rice Recipes collection has everything from pilau to congee.

If you've enjoyed the recipes, you can buy me a coffee ☕ — it helps keep the site going.

FOOTNOTE:

This jasmine rice recipe is part of my Rice Recipes collection — a world of rice from Casa Adora and the road. Find the full collection at Recipe Hubs.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef