Basmati rice water ratio
Use about 1½ cups of water per cup of basmati rice on the stove, or 1¼ in a rice cooker. Simmer 15 minutes, then rest 10.
For 1 cup of basmati rice, add
1½ cups water
356 ml · ratio 1 : 1.5
- Simmer, lid on
- 15 min
- Rest off the heat
- 10 min
- Cooked yield
- ≈ 3 cups
- Servings (¾ cup cooked)
- 4
How to cook basmati rice
Rinsing: Rinse well, then soak 20–30 minutes for the longest grains. If you soak, cut the water to about 1¼.
Aged basmati lengthens a lot as it cooks. Resting with the lid on finishes the grains without breaking them.
| Dry rice | Water (stove) | Water (rice cooker) | Cooked |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ cup | ⅞ cups | ⅝ cups | 1½ cups |
| 1 cup | 1½ cups | 1¼ cups | 3 cups |
| 1½ cups | 2⅛ cups | 1⅞ cups | 4½ cups |
| 2 cups | 2¾ cups | 2½ cups | 6 cups |
| 3 cups | 4 cups | 3¾ cups | 9 cups |
| 4 cups | 5⅓ cups | 5 cups | 12 cups |
Stovetop water drops slightly per cup as the batch grows, because the amount lost to steam barely changes. See why.
Other rice
Questions cooks ask
What is the water ratio for basmati rice?
1½ cups of water per cup of basmati rice on the stove, or 1¼ cups in a rice cooker.
How long does basmati rice take to cook?
About 15 minutes at a low simmer with the lid on, then 10 minutes resting off the heat.
How much does 1 cup of dry basmati rice make?
About 3 cups cooked, enough for 4 side servings.