Boiled rice

375g basmati rice

750ml cold water

1 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat the oven to 50C.

Place a large saucepan on the hob, over a high heat. Add the rice, water and salt. Bring to the boil, stirring only once. Put a lid on the pan, and place it in the oven for 15 minutes. Set your timer.

When the timer reminds you, check the rice (by parting it with a spoon) to see if all of the water has been absorbed by the rice. If not, return it to the oven for another 3 minutes, and check it again. The rice is perfect when all the water has been absorbed.

You can make boiled rice, using this method, for any number of people – just use equal volumes of rice and water, and adjust the salt accordingly. One portion is about half a coffee mug of rice (or more, if you like a lot of rice).

If you want to pimp your rice, add (before boiling) four cardamom pods, half a pepper and half an onion (finely chopped, and fried in a little oil until glossy), 50g sultanas and 1 teaspoon of turmeric (or a pinch of saffron, if you have some).