Can You Use Jasmine Rice for Risotto: Best Way to Prepare

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Risotto in white bowl placed in a wooden board with table napkin with a text "can you use jasmine rice for risotto"

Jasmine rice is famous for its fragrance and fluffy texture. I have always especially loved using it in Asian dishes, like fried rice.

However, what about Italian dishes? Can you use jasmine rice for risotto? I tried it myself and realized that it has its limitations.

Most professional chefs do not recommend jasmine rice for risotto due to its low starch content. You can still make a risotto with it, but it won’t have the creamy texture and flavor of the authentic version of this dish. You might also need more cooking time as jasmine rice takes longer to boil.

Which Rice is Suitable for Risotto? 

Yummy risotto with Parmesan cheese and parsley!

Risotto is a comfort food for many people because of its texture and subtle flavor. This Italian dish is easy to prepare and needs a few ingredients. 

However, the biggest question I had in mind was about which rice to use for risotto.

After watching multiple recipes from top chefs, I found that the key ingredient to a flavorful risotto is Italian rice varieties like Arborio or Carnaroli rice.

Both Arborio and Carnaroli rice have a high starch content. When you cook these rice varieties in vegetable or chicken broth, they release that starch. This process yields a smooth consistency, which is the main character of your risotto dish!

You can also use other rice varieties with more starch, like sushi or calrose rice

Can You Use Jasmine Rice to Make Risotto?

1 Pack of Jasmine rice and a bowl of rice with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

A few months ago, I was surfing TikTok at night and saw this mouth-watering risotto video. Unfortunately, there was only Jasmine rice available in my pantry. 

I searched extensively on the Internet to check if I could use Jasmine rice for risotto. According to most chefs and food connoisseurs, you should not use Jasmine rice for risotto.

As Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice variety, it contains relatively less starch than other popular rice varieties. As a result, Jasmine rice won’t give you the creamy and rich texture that a traditional risotto needs.

Drawbacks to Making Risotto With Jasmine Rice

Even though most chefs don’t recommend using Jasmine rice for risotto, I still went ahead with it. It didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it would!

However, there were some clear limitations with jasmine rice risotto, as discussed below:

1. Longer Cooking Time

Long-grain varieties, like basmati and jasmine rice, take 30 to 40 minutes to cook.

On the other hand, medium-grain rice, like arborio or carnaroli, takes just 15 minutes.

Therefore, when you prepare risotto with jasmine rice, the cooking time may increase by 20 to 30 minutes. 

2. Requires Additional Broth

Risotto is simply rice cooked in broth. As a rule, people add four cups of broth for one cup of arborio rice. 

Since jasmine rice is less starchy than arborio rice, you will need at least six to eight cups of broth per cup of jasmine rice. 

If you add less liquid, the jasmine rice won’t cook, and you will end up with undercooked grains! The risotto’s consistency may also lack richness.

3. Not Very Rich or Creamy

Jasmine rice won’t give you the creaminess that the high-starch rice varieties do. Even if you add extra broth or butter, it might still taste dry instead of creamy. 

How to Make Risotto Using Jasmine Rice?

Risotto with jasmine rice seems like a culinary crime. Yet, with the cooking method below, you can create a dish that resembles Arborio rice risotto!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of uncooked and unwashed jasmine rice
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 to 3 sliced garlic cloves 
  • ½ cup of diced onions 
  • 4 sliced button mushrooms 
  • 6 to 8 cups of warm vegetable or chicken broth 
  • 1 cup of white wine or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (non-alcoholic substitute)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter 
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • Parsley and cheese (for garnishing)

Instructions

1. Take a cooking pot and add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Virgin olive oil in a cooking pot  with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

2. Next, add the sliced garlic cloves and sauté them on medium-high heat until they turn golden brown. 

Chopped garlic added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

3. Add the diced onions and sauté them until they look translucent. 

Chopped onions added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

4. Throw in the mushrooms and let the vegetables cook for five minutes. 

Chopped mushrooms added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

5. Then, add the uncooked jasmine rice and toast it with the vegetables for two to three minutes. 

Jasmine rice added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

6. Turn the heat low and pour two cups of vegetable or chicken broth. 

Water added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

7. Stir the mixture and let the rice cook on low heat always.

8. Once the jasmine has absorbed the broth, add another two cups of broth. Stir for one to two minutes. 

Broth has absorbed in the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

9. Again, wait for the rice to absorb the broth. Then, add one cup of white wine (I have used one tablespoon of lemon juice).

A tablespoon of lemon and below the risotto in the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

10. Continue stirring for a few minutes.

11. Then, taste the rice once. If it is hard, add two more cups of broth and let it cook longer. 

12. Once the jasmine rice finishes cooking, add two tablespoons of butter plus salt and black pepper to taste. 

Butter, salt, pepper added to the mixture with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

13. Turn off the stove and garnish your risotto with cheese and parsley

Cheese and parsley added to the cooking pot with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

14. Transfer the risotto to a bowl and serve it hot!

Risotto in white bowl with a logo of Fooducopia on the upper left side of the image.

If you want to understand risotto’s cooking style properly, you can watch this YouTube video.

Additional Tips to Improve Jasmine Rice Risotto

Mushrooms & herbs on wood.

There are a few more tips to enhance the flavor and texture of your jasmine rice risotto.

1. Use High-Quality Mushrooms 

Instead of button mushrooms, you can use more exotic varieties like portabella, shiitake, or porcini. They have earthy, nutty, and smoky notes that can elevate your jasmine rice risotto’s flavors. 

2. Add a Bit of Fresh Cream

Traditional risottos rely on the rice’s starch for the creaminess. However, you can add a tablespoon of fresh cream when using jasmine rice to improve the dish’s texture and bring it closer to the authentic version.

3. Don’t Add Broth in One Go!

In the above recipe, you will notice that I added vegetable broth two cups at a time. 

Jamie Oliver, a famous British chef, warns against adding all broth in one go. When you do that, there is a high chance that the rice may overboil and lose its flavor. 

Final Thoughts

If you just have jasmine rice at home and are craving risotto, don’t worry. Go ahead with the steps outlined in this blog post, and you won’t sleep with an unsatisfied stomach!

Saniya Baxi Avatar

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