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Rice Flavour Tips

Rice is one of the world’s most versatile foods, essentially it can be paired with any flavour you like. Discover easy tips to flavour rice.

Quick tips for your Dainty rice variety

BASMATI RICE
  • Add fresh lime zest and a dab of butter to the cooked Basmati rice, delicious. Cook the basmati rice in water containing 1 cinnamon stick, 6 whole cloves and 2 garlic cloves for an aromatic taste.
JASMINE RICE
  • Try substituting the cooking water for coconut milk or coconut water AND/OR add a crushed lemongrass stalk to your cooking liquid.
BROWN RICE
  • Toasting brown rice grains in a little butter or olive oil before adding water brings out their flavour and adds a fantastic nutty note in the finished dish.
READ MORE FLAVOUR TIPS FOR YOUR DAINTY RICE VARIETY  

To add wonderful fragrance and taste to your rice, try flavouring your cooking liquid with:

  • Spices & herbs - cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, star anise, thyme, rosemary, turmeric, or garlic cloves.   Note: Ground herbs and spices typically give a subtler flavour, whereas whole spices or fresh herbs give the rice an extra kick, a stronger flavour.
  • Zests - lemon or lime (crushed lemon grass is also delicious)
  • Tea bags - orange blossom or Green tea are great!
OR try substituting water for consommé, broth (vegetable, chicken, beef, lamb), wine, coconut water or coconut milk.

Why not flavour your rice according to the dishes country of origin?

  • For an Indian  inspiration try adding cardamom or a dash of curry powder.
  • For South-East Asian rice dish, add lemongrass, turmeric, ginger or garlic.
  • For Japanese dishes, add some ginger, sesame seeds, dried seaweed (nori) or furikake mix. Also, try cooking the rice with a sheet of dried Kombu (kelp) added to the water.
  • For Chinese, add Chinese five-spice powder or chili powder.
  • For southwestern and Mexican foods, cumin seeds, chili's, paprika and cayenne, are the perfect accompaniment
  • For French and Italian dishes, try using garlic, dried or fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano.
  • For Spanish dishes, try using tomato sauce, saffron, garlic, pepper or cumin.

For a super quick fix, rice can be jazzed up simply with:

  • A dash of fish sauce
  • A dash of soy sauce
  • A sprinkle of natural salt flakes
  • A sprinkle of lime or lemon zest
  • A sprinkle of unsweetened or sweetened coconut flakes
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