I finally did it!

I've been trying for a few weeks to learn to cook rice. I know, it's second hand for most people, but I've never been able to do it without using the boil-in-bag style. That was the main reason I signed on for the BzzAgent Mahatma Rice campaign.

I'm proud to report that I did it! I made an edible batch of rice!

I royally messed up my first attempt at the Jasmine Rice. I knew it was supposed to be a bit stickier than I was used to, but oh boy, this was a mess. I did quite enjoy the scent as it was over-cooking though. I can't make myself re-attempt this one for some reason.

My first attempt at the Basmati rice was also inedible. I totally under cooked that batch. It was not a pleasant eating experience. I believe we ended up with take-out that night. I plugged on though. And I have made a wonderful batch of Basmati! I was not going to let that rice beat me down! Again, the aroma while cooking was intoxicating. I could not wait to taste it! The nutty flavor was definitely enhanced with salt and butter. It was almost like a popcorn flavor.

Now, I don't cook a lot (or really, any) Thai or Indian foods due to a cinnamon allergy in my household so I wasn't sure where to use my newly edible, yummy rice. I figured it out though! Jambalaya! It added such a different flavor that I'm totally hooked on it now!

You have to check out Mahatma's Thai Jasmine and Indian Basmati rices! You can get them in your supermarket or order them from Amazon. There is a section on Mahatmarice.com where you can search for recipes. I also found a lot of recipes on the Food Network website using both styles of rice.

I was supplied with a 2 lb. bag of both styles of rice, as well as coupons, from Mahatma through BzzAgent. All experiences and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the free product.