Basmati vs Jasmine Rice

  • I know Basmati is a Ph 2 food but can someone tell me if I can sub Jasmine for it? They have the same nutritional information so I thought maybe it was just left of the list.

    This is the kind I usually buy and in case I am not allowed to link it, it's Mahatma Jasmine Rice
    http://www.mahatmarice.com/mahatmari...roductid=10695

    Thanks
  • I think any rice is okay as long as it's brown rice or with the outer hull intact. The link you gave was for white rice, and you would want to avoid that on any phase, just like white bread vs. whole grain bread.
  • Basmati is also a white rice and on the allowed food list. Oh the confusion!

    Basmati -
    http://www.mahatmarice.com/mahatmari...roductid=10667
  • I believe white rice has to be converted and not instant and should be okay. I think most of the mahat rices are converted? I know Uncle Ben's sells converted rice
  • I know they have rice mixes but I don't think Mahatma sells instant rice.
    I love my rice maker
  • Jasmine and Basmati (and the hybrids jasmati and texmati) are varieties of long grain fragrant rice. I would consider them interchangeable for most purposes. They all come in polished and brown or whole grain (rice without the bran removed is called brown rice, although the color isn't always brown). I have some black jasmine rice (since the bran hasn't been removed it's a brown rice, even though the color is dark purplish black). I haven't tried it yet.

    Converted rice is precooked, I believe, but isn't processed to the degree that instant rice has been. I would think unprocessed brown rice, should be first choice, though this takes the longest to cook. It is also the most flavorful and has a nice nutty chewiness from the bran (and is more filling too because of all that fiber in the bran)
  • Thanks. I really hate regular brown rice, even though I have tried really hard to like it. I will look to see what they have next time I go to the store because they usually have a good selection. I am making my grocery list now so wanted to be sure I could use it.
  • Love, I also used to hate brown rice..because it never came out right for me. It was either like little rocks or mush. Being from Louisiana, I'm VERY picky about my rice...it's an artform here.
    One day I was watching Alton Brown and he showed how to cook perfect brown rice, so I tried it...and it comes out just perfect every time. He used butter, so I subbed olive oil for the butter and it works just fine. He recommend using an 8"x8" glass dish:

    1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
    2 1/2 cups water
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 teaspoon salt


    Preheat oven to 375ºF.
    Boil the water and add the olive oil and salt. Stir to dissolve.
    Place the rice in an 8" casserole dish. Pour the boiling water mixture over the rice and stir.
    Cover with foil and bake on the middle rack for 1 hour.
    Fluff with fork and serve.
  • Basmati rice is available brown. It has the nice basmati texture and taste. You might like it better than regular brown rice.
  • Cat, I'd forgotten about baking rice! I used to do it all the time. Thanks for the reminder!
  • Oh, I'll try that Cat. I'm sure it's good if Alton made it!
    I get the brown basmati from Trader Joe's.
    I didn't know that any white rice was allowed.
    What does it mean when rice is converted? I didn't know rice had religion. I think I would prefer my rice perverted anyway...
  • The Good Fats/Good Carbs guide says that the following rice is good:
    Brown
    white, long-grain, converted (I buy Uncle Ben's)
    wild

    The following is limited:
    arborio risotto
    basmati
    white, long-grain

    The following is to be avoided:
    brown, quick-cooking
    glutinous
    jasmine
    white, instant

    baking the rice sounds good but often I wouldn't have an hour to cook it so the 20 minutes that Uncle Ben's takes to make converted, works better for me.
  • Schmoodle!!
  • Barb - do you know why Jasmine is a nono?
    (for Mahatma brand) It has the same nutritional info as Basmati and Long Grain White. Reading this thread, now know Basmati can also come in brown, does it mean brown only Basmati? I am just asking out of curiousity now.

    Guess I will be looking for their Uncle Ben's next time. Thanks so much for the help!
  • I did a little (ok a whole lot!) more reading and found out that Jasmine rice has a GL of 46 and Basmati is only 22. That explains it

    eta for comparison - UB converted is about 14-16, don't remember which I read