Garlic Basmati Rice with Oregano & Fresh Parsley

Skip the plain, unseasoned white rice and instead opt for flavorful Garlic Basmati Rice. The bold flavors of oregano and garlic, combined with rich and creamy butter, create a side dish that you will be having seconds and thirds of.

Instead of water, Oregano & Garlic Basmati Rice is made with complexly flavored chicken broth. The rice is finished off with aromatic fresh parsley. The parsley adds a pop of color and fresh peppery flavor.

Ingredients

• White basmati rice – Basmati rice is a variety of long-grained rice. It has a nutty flavor and a firm texture. Basmati rice can be either brown or white. I am using white in this recipe.
• Low-sodium chicken broth – You can use store-bought or homemade chicken broth. If you don’t have low-sodium chicken broth on hand, you may want to lesson the amount of salt you add to your rice.
• Butter – Why add butter to rice you ask? Well, maybe because everything tastes better with butter! Seriously though, butter adds a layer of richness to the dish and also absorbs into the rice better when added during the cooking process, as opposed to adding it at the end after it has cooked. If you don’t have any butter or need to make this recipe dairy free, you could substitute in olive oil instead.
• Salt – I pretty much always use Morton Course Kosher Salt. Use whichever salt you prefer!
• Garlic powder – Garlic powder is one of the star ingredients in this recipe. Make sure to choose a high quality brand like Simply Organic Garlic Powder.
• Dried oregano – Stick with dried oregano for this recipe. I have not tested it out with fresh oregano.
• Fresh Parsley – You can use either flat leaf or curly parsley. There are distinct taste and texture differences between the two varieties. However, my local grocery stores usually only have one or the other, so I just use whatever the grocery store has on hand that week.

Equipment needed

• Small sauce pan
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Small cutting board and chopping knife – This is only needed to chop the fresh parsley.

How to make

1. Boil – Bring 2 cups chicken broth to a boil on the stove.
2. Add – Add 1 cup basmati rice, butter, salt, garlic powder and dried oregano to the boiling broth.
3. Stir – Give the rice mixture a stir.
4. Cover & Simmer – Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook on low for 18-20 minutes.
5. Fluff – Uncover, remove from heat, fluff the rice with a fork and let cool.

Serving suggestions

Serve this Oregano & Garlic Basmati Rice recipe with any of these delicious recipes!

• Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs with Crispy Skin – Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs are started and finished in the same skillet! This simple recipe requires minimal hands-on time, only uses a few pantry staples, and is both low-carb and gluten free!
• Pesto Turkey Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese – Pesto Turkey Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese only contains 8 ingredients! Baking meatballs with ricotta cheese helps to keep the meatballs from drying out and the pesto sauce adds the salty, garlicky, parmesan cheesy flavors that I love.
• Healthy Turkey Burgers with Spinach – These flavorful turkey burgers start off in a cast iron skillet and finish in the oven. They only take a handful of ingredients and are packed with fresh spinach.
• Basmati rice would also go well with any roasted chicken recipe, a simple meatloaf, pork chops, pork tenderloin, broiled fish or topped with sautéed veggies.

Cooking Variations

• Instant Pot – Instant Pots are a brand of electric pressure cookers. I have not tried this recipe in an instant pot, but you can find many instant pot rice recipes on the internet! This recipe for Perfect Instant Pot Basmati Rice clearly explains how to cook basmati rice in an instant pot.
• Rice Cooker – Years ago I used to exclusively cook rice in a rice cooker. They are a wonderful, hands-off method of cooking perfect rice every single time. This is the rice cooker that I used to use.

Tips & Tricks

• Double check your rice packaging to make sure the same ratio of liquid to rice is recommended as I have recommended in this recipe. It is usually a 2:1 liquid to rice ratio. However, you never know when a package could recommend something different for their specific brand.
• Don’t remove the lid when cooking your rice! I know how tempting it is to check under the lid to see how the rice is doing. However, the steam is very important in the cooking process and if you remove the lid, all the steam will escape and you will interrupt this delicate cooking process.
• It’s highly recommended that you rinse your rice prior to cooking. Rinsing the rice removes excess starch from the outside of the grains. The excess starch can cause the rice to get sticky and gummy while it is cooking. To rinse rice, pour it into a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two or until the water runs clear.

Basmati Rice vs Jasmine Rice

• Origin – Basmati rice originates from the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India and Pakistan, and is commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. Jasmine rice is originally from Thailand and is commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking.
• Appearance – To the naked eye, it can be hard to tell the difference between the two varieties of rice. After closer examination though, it is clear that Jasmine rice has slightly shorter and fatter grains compared to Basmati rice, which is slightly longer and thinner.
• Color – Both types of rice can be found in white varieties. Jasmine rice also comes in brown, red, purple and black. Basmati rice can only be found in brown in addition to a white variety.
• Flavor – Both types of rice have a nutty flavor and are often used interchangeably in recipes.
• Texture – Jasmine rice has a soft, sticky texture when cooked. Basmati rice does not get sticky, and instead the grains stay distinctly apart.

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