Quote from: Secret Santa on June 21, 2009, 10:08 AM
I don't know if anyone else has had this experience and I'd be interested to know. When I used to eat plain boiled basmati rice at the BIR (I usually have pilau these days), it always had that very fragrant and unmistakable basmati aroma. This even when they claimed to use Tilda rice, which I personally happen to rate very low on the quality front.

Now, when I cook plain basmati at home, and I've used many brands over the years, I never ever get the same depth of fragrant basmati aroma. Does anyone else have this problem? Is it another BIR secret, i.e. the secret of bringing out the basmati fragrance to the full?

Hi SS

I find the very opposite to be the case on both fronts. When eating out or ordering a T/A I always get plain boiled rice and invariably (especially so recently) they end up fobbing off what is obviously ordinary long grain American patna type rice as basmati. It doesn't seem to matter wether it's an up market style gaff or a sawdust and spittoon place, I can't remember the last time I got pukka basmati from a BIR. I put this down to the way the price has gone over the past year or so.

Tilda is the one brand of readily available rice that I have found to be consistently good over the years. If you look at their website you'll see that they operate a sort of fair trade policy and deal with local farmers co-operatives so ensuring quality and a good return for the growers, instead of just relying on the spot wholesale markets and going for the cheapest product.
How are you cooking the rice? Try using the absorption method with an Asian(cinnamon)leaf and leave it in a (very) low oven, the aroma develops slowly and is amazing.

Regard
CoR   

ps. That Dawn stuff looks really good, never seen it round here, will make some enquiries.

qprbob,

thanks for photo - sorted.

i'm now convinced it's the darker stuff to aim for and aged whenever possible.

As with most things BIR, I doubt many use "the best" basmati rice and no doubt strike a compromise between quality and price.

I suggest the better BIRs then develop the frangrance via their cooking methods.

i had a further look round my local armed with the additional knowledge.

1st up - there are a lot of bags packaged in the UK. i put these in one category as blended and will be staying well clear (i think these have much blame)

the best rice seems to be in the larger bags (20 & 45kg). for example i found CA's recommendation dehraduni - trouble is there was only 1 off shelf space and only in 45 kg (a defo possibility for the future).

very few have the words "aged" on them. very few have "extra long grain" on them. this chucks out a few more imposter's.

i asked the bosses wife for help. i was quite surprised that she said they are reluctant to recommend as peoples tastes (i read non asian) vary and this can lead to disappointment. we had a good chat. chenab despite all it says on the packaging is not good. it's now on offer and perhaps that's another good marker.

in the end she recommended 3 brands. the best fit (limiting myself to 10kg range as i'm already awash with the chenab) was Zebra. it looks very promising. of the other 2 one was tilda (with i'm undecided on) and the other (White Pearl) too expensive at 20? for 10 kg.

i've started googling and having a look at a few mills.

Quote from: JerryM on June 24, 2009, 07:33 AM
the best fit (limiting myself to 10kg range as i'm already awash with the chenab) was Zebra.

Be careful Jerry, this rice buying business is a bit of a grey area,  it's not all black and white you know!  ;D

Quoteone was tilda (with i'm undecided on)

Despite what the blurb on the pack might say, I still don't rate Tilda. I personally wouldn't make this my first choice.

Quoteand the other (White Pearl) too expensive at 20? for 10 kg

Well I've heard very good reports on this, but for the life of me I can't recall whether I've tried it myself. But perhaps that fact means that, if I have, it wasn't that good, or perhaps my memory is just fading. Probably the latter!