Tilda Basmati Rice

Product Name: Tilda Basmati Rice, 10lb

Store Purchased: Asy Market, 5455 Yonge St, Toronto, ON

Price: $12.99 CDN

Review: After returning that dreadful Delrose basmati, I went to Asy's Market today to buy some Tilda. They do not sell any bags smaller than 10lb, so I will have alot of rice to eat in the next few months. (At any given time in my household, there is at least 4 bags of rice. Now, I have jasmine, calrose, basmati, short glutinous, long glutinous, brown rice, and wild rice in my cupboards. All of them in 5lb bags or bigger.) Tilda is a one of the more expensive basmati brands, but not without reason. Every white grain is perfect, slim, and long. A handful of this rice wafts up beautiful basmati aroma. I also love the little zipper to open and close the bag. It is one of those little add-ons that just amuse me so. I had to cook some up immediately, and made some pilaf.

HOW TO MAKE PILAF

2 c basmati rice
3 c water
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
any spices, such as cardamom, bay leaves, masala, saffron
soaked raisins
3 tbsp ghee

-melt some ghee in a pot
-saute onions, garlic, dry spices (not saffron)
-add rice, and fry until translucent
-add water (and saffron/raisins, if using), bring to boil, simmer at medium for 15 min
-let stand 10 min
-fluff rice with a fork
-add salt to taste

Just remember that basmati rice should always be cooked in the ratio 2rice:3water by volume.

Finish Feeding Your Tum...

Delrose Basmati Rice

Product Name: Delrose Aromatic Basmati Rice

Store Purchased: Loblaws, various locations

Price: 5.79 for 2kg bag

Review: DO NOT BUY THIS! This is by far the worst rice I have ever purchased in my life. I decided to try out a new rice today when I was wandering the grocery aisles of the Bayview Village Loblaws. (I know, I know, why am I buying basmati at Loblaws when there is perfectly GREAT rice in persian grocers on Yonge?) I really wanted to know how American basmati could compare to Patna and Pakistani basmatis, since most Japanese rice comes from the US. If you look at the above photo, you can clearly see grass, pebbles and molding rice. This is not a good sign. I was able to get this much with one fistful off the top. I finally understand my grandmother's old stories about "picking through rice" before cooking it. The fragrance of the rice does not even smell like basmati, but more like Jasmine. Also, not all the (minus the molding ones) grains are white, which would only be fine if I had bought brown basmati rice. I did not even try to cook some of this up to taste. I will be returning it tomorrow to Loblaws, and going up the street to buy some basmati at ASY market. This brand also makes a variety of other "gourmet rices", but it is suffice to say I will not be trying them.



Delrose packaging plug: "Delrose Aromatic American Basmati White Rice is milled to perfection in small batches, producing an American long grain rice with popcorn-like aroma of Asian basmati rice. The high quality rice is smooth and even in texture..."

AVOID AVOID AVOID!

On the plus side, I was able to find ammonium bicarbonate on the shelves of Loblaws - Bayview Village for 99 cents a bottle. This stuff is hard to find if you are not a professional baker, but it is required to make alot of Asian bakery products.

Finish Feeding Your Tum...