Several of the Albanian & Bolivian dishes I have learned to cook for my family are stews or some kind or roasted meat/chicken. Usually I serve these dishes with a side of white rice, especially for the children since they do like to mix rice & veggies. So I wanted to share with you my go to rice recipe, Olive Oil & Garlic Jasmine Rice.
I use jasmine rice because of its flavorful and aromatic qualities. This recipe is very simple & fast to cook, plus the rice can be stored in the refrigerator for few days making it a very versatile side dish. I have several other rice recipes that are a little more complex, I can’t wait to share those as well in the upcoming weeks.
To Rinse or Not To Rinse Rice?
When I was a child, we used to clean rice of all impurities and then rinse and drain for few minutes before cooking with it. Since moving to US few decades ago, I have noticed that certain retail brands of rice come already clean of impurities and rice doesn’t seem to have that layer of starch we want to rinse of.
It’s up to you if you want to rinse rice or not. I would highly suggest to rinse especially if you buy from a rice farmer or a farmer’s market in general.
Jasmine Rice Recipe Notes & Tips
This recipe can be altered to replace olive oil with butter. I pretty much follow the same instructions for both. Olive oil makes the rice less sticky and has less saturated fat than butter. Also, I prefer olive oil when I know I will serve this rice with stews because I tend to use olive oil when I cook stews as well.
- I usually plan enough for 3 days. It holds well in the refrigerator for a short time. One of my readers asked me once if they can freeze this recipe and really I don’t know the answer to that. It takes very little time to cook this rice side dish, so I normally cook it Sunday or Monday and have enough until Thursday.
- I love serving this side dish with Picante De Pollo or Lomo Saltado as well as Green Peas Stew. Oh and with ground beef Picadillo as well. Honestly so many more dishes:)
- Always inspect the rice before rinsing for any impurities. This is a habit from when I lived back in Albania. Inspecting rice was the kids job. My grandparents used to line us up around the dinner table with a pile of rice to inspect. There were plenty of pieces that didn’t belong there. However, here in US I rarely find anything that needs to be removed like a small stone etc.
- Cooking jasmine rice on the stovetop – this recipe is meant for cooking on stovetop. If you use a rice cooker or instant pot, please follow timing for those devices.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days in an airtight container. I love using leftovers for meal prepping or making fried rice!!
- Cook uncovered until water is absorbed. Then lower heat to low and cover!
Simple Olive Oil & Garlic Jasmine Rice
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Regular pot and lid
- Wooden spoon
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups jasmine rice
- 2 tbsps olive oil extra virgin
- 3 medium size garlic cloves
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 3 cups hot water
Instructions
- Make sure rice is clear of impurities. Rinse rice in a fine colander under running water.
- Turn heat on medium in the stove top. I usually use one of the burners in the back (smaller ones).
- Heat water in another pot or electrical kettle if you have one.
- Mince the garlic cloves and start by sauteing the garlic in olive oil on medium heat. Then add the jasmine rice and mix slowly so the grains don't get burnt. I like to use a wooden spoon for this.
- Once the grains become translucent, add the boiling water, salt and lower the temperature to medium-low. Stir once. Keep uncovered.
- Once water is running out, then turn heat to low and cover the pot. Let cook covered for few more minutes. Turn heat off. Once ready to serve, fluff with a fork. Serve with your favorite dishes:)
Video
Notes
- I use very little salt compared to many other people. Since this is a side dish, I let the flavor and salt come from the stew. Feel free to add more if you so desire.
- If you were not to saute the rice in olive oil, but instead boil water and throw rice in, I would lower the amount of water used by a quarter cup. The method I’m using needs a bit more water, hence the 2 to 1 ration between water and rice.
- If you are using a rice cooker or Instant Pot please follow instructions in those devices for proper cooking time. When I use the IP, I still saute the garlic in olive oil, add rice, saute some more, add boiling water then pressurize for 12 minutes. This works for me in IP but there are different sizes and instructions so please follow instructions in your device.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please pin the below image to Pinterest. Thank you:) Let me know in comments if you have any questions!
Additional Rice Recipes
- Peruvian Rice with Choclo
- Albanian Baked Rice and Chicken
- Bolivian Cheesy Rice
- Chicken Risotto with Lemon and Dill
jay
How many servings can this make?
admin
For a family with small kids like mine, 6 servings but if it’s all adults I’d say more like 4 servings. Always assuming this as a side to a stew or curry or another dish.
jay
oh okay. is it safe to assume that in the case of 4 servings, each serving is equivalent to 212 calories as shown above?
Sylvia
This is what I was looking for for the alternative store bought Minute Rice brand! Definitely pairing this with other side dishes to see which will taste better with! But I must say, I’d probably make it just eat as is! 😉
admin
I don’t blame you, I do the same when it’s freshly cooked because it tastes & smells amazing. Leftovers are great with some heavy stew or curry though 😍, but not so much on their own!
Nisha
I love the fragrance of Jasmine rice and with garlic and olive oil in it , it must really taste awesome !
Jennifer
What a delicious and simple dish! This will go great with my meal prep during the week! Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe Sonila 💗
Sonila
Thank you Jennie:)), this is my lazy side dish recipe. Honestly, it goes with any other dish. So I always cook more and store it in the refrigerator for few days.