You'll love all the flavors in this Garlic Herb rice. Quite easy to make and way better than boxed mixes. This is the side dish to serve alongside proteins and salads for dinner. Adding butter to melt into the rice at the end of cooking really seals the deal, adding great buttery flavor!
Rinse the Basmati rice thoroughly using a fine mesh strainer to remove the starch. Rinse until the water runs clear. Tap the strainer well so the excess water drains from the rice. Set aside.
Place a medium pot on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pot and heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, minced rosemary, and thyme, and saute for 30 seconds. Add the rinsed rice and let it toast in the oil for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring from time to time.
Add in the 3 cups of water, salt, bouillon powder, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bring the pot to a boil still on medium-high heat then cover tightly and reduce the heat to medium-low (almost at the lowest heat but not quite at the lowest).
Let the rice cook covered for 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is done. If the rice isn't done, cover, and let it cook again for 5 minutes until fully cooked. Avoid adding water at this stage as the residual steam will cook the rice.
Dice the 2 tablespoons of butter and add to the rice. Let the cooked rice rest covered for 5 minutes, allowing the butter to melt. Fluff with a fork and serve warm with your favorite dishes.
Notes
Storage: Store cooked rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Don't store the rice in the same container it was cooked in.Reheating: To reheat garlic herb rice on the stovetop, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to a small pot. Add the rice, cover the pot, and let it heat up on medium heat until completely heated through. To reheat in the microwave, add a little water to the rice so it doesn't dry out, cover and heat on low heat until heated through.Dried Herbs: You could use dried thyme and rosemary instead of fresh. Just reduce the quantity by half since dried herbs are more concentrated. So for this recipe, you would use half a teaspoon of dried thyme and half a teaspoon of dried rosemary.