Sona Masoori Rice: A South Indian Medium-Grain Rice for Everyday Meals
Sona masoori, also spelled sona masuri, is a medium-grain rice used widely in South Indian meals.
Sona masoori, also spelled sona masuri, is a medium-grain rice used widely in South Indian meals. It offers a delicate flavour and is used in dishes such as pongal, coconut rice and plain rice served with curries.
Choose it for the kind of meal you are making rather than expecting the extra-long appearance associated with some basmati products. Medium grains are doing a different job, and doing it quite happily.
White and brown are different purchases
Sona masoori is sold in more than one form. A white rice packet and a brown, wholegrain packet need not have the same water or timing instructions. Check the full name and the ingredient description before following a recipe.
This is particularly useful when shopping online, where a photograph of the front of the bag can hide the preparation details on the back.
A manufacturer's stovetop method
Royal's white sona masoori directions use 1 cup rice to 2 cups water by volume. Rinse and drain the rice, add it to boiling water, fit the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Its suggested cooking period is 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
Use these directions for the specified product. Follow your own packet if it differs, and check the grain's tenderness rather than accepting a dry pan as the only finish signal. The brand also notes that soaking is optional, so use a complete method that accounts for your chosen preparation.
Choosing a dish
For a first bag, serve a simply cooked portion alongside a curry you already know. That makes it easier to judge the rice's texture. For pongal or another dish in which rice cooks with pulses and seasonings, use that dish's recipe rather than cooking a plain side and assuming it will give the same result.