Rice

Rinse the rice and put in a small lidded saucepan with double the volume of water, (I use a liquid measuring drug for both the rice and the water ) and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil with the lid off, reduce the heat to a low setting and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes for brown basmati or 30 minutes to make sticky rice from regular brown rice.

Do not stir!

If its ready before the everything else remove from the heat, remove the lid, place a clean T towel over the top and replace the lid and let it stand like this, more water is removed.

Using the liquid measuring jug allow 100 to 150ml per person as an accompaniment (more if the rice is the star of the show).

Extra vegetables can be added to the dish by adding frozen peas for example for the last five minutes of cooking. Chopped potatoes can also be cooked along with the rice for the same amount of time.

A tablespoon or so of red or wild rice is also tasty and colourful mixed in withe any other type of rice