Persian recipes and ingredients for everyday kitchens.

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Plain kateh rice: a no-soak absorption method

An accessible Persian stovetop rice method using measured water, a close-fitting lid and visible cooking cues. No draining, loose lid cloth or promised tahdig.

AI editorial review: 2026-10-21

Researched recipe; not cooked or tested by Culinara.

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Ingredients and method

One pot from 2 US cups of dry white basmati rice; finished portion count not measured

Ingredients

  • 2 US measuring cups of dry white basmati rice (not brown rice or American long-grain rice)
  • 4 US measuring cups of cool water for cooking, measured separately from rinse water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjusted only at serving if needed

Method

  1. Rinse the basmati rice in a bowl with cool water, gently moving it by hand and draining between rinses. Repeat until most loose surface starch is gone, then drain well. This version does not soak the rice.
  2. Combine the drained rice, 4 measured US cups of water and salt in a medium, suitably sized heavy-bottomed or nonstick pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while watching the pan. Stir in the oil once the water begins boiling.
  3. Keep the pot uncovered at a controlled simmer while the rice takes up the water. Watch for the standing water to disappear and small holes to form among the rice grains. Reduce the heat if it boils aggressively; do not keep cooking uncovered after the bottom threatens to dry or scorch.
  4. When the surface has little or no free water, turn the heat to low and cover with a close-fitting lid. Let it finish gently until the grains are tender. Begin checking after roughly 10–15 minutes rather than treating any clock time as a guarantee; pot thickness, rice brand and burner output change the result. Do not put a loose cloth near the burner.
  5. Turn off the heat when the rice is tender, then loosen it with a fork and serve. Divide leftovers into shallow, clean containers and refrigerate promptly rather than keeping cooked rice in a warm pot.

Kateh is not the same as drain-and-steam rice

Kateh (کته) is a Persian absorption-style rice preparation, associated especially with northern Iranian cooking. Encyclopaedia Iranica describes a no-soak approach in which rice cooks in measured water rather than being boiled in excess water and drained. It distinguishes the usually softer kateh result from other Persian rice preparations.

This article describes one plain stovetop approach. It does not promise a crunchy tahdig bottom or reproduce a rice-cooker, soaked-rice, or yogurt-crust variation.

Sources: [1] [3]

Why this batch starts with two measures of water per one of rice

For this specific no-soak formulation, two US cups of rice use four US cups of cooking water. That proportion is present in the plain kateh recipe card by Azita Mehran and in Encyclopaedia Iranica's description of an everyday no-soak method. Azita's introductory prose also mentions a different water figure, which conflicts with her recipe card; the agreement with the independent Iranica description is why this draft uses the card quantity rather than silently treating both statements as consistent.

Persian cook and cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij also publishes a no-soak kateh method, but with a different amount of water for a three-cup basmati batch and a staged uncovered-then-covered finish. That is evidence of legitimate method variation, not support for one universal ratio across rice varieties or cookware. This draft has not been kitchen-tested by Culinara.

Sources: [2] [1] [3]

Use water absorption and tenderness as cues

Encyclopaedia Iranica describes reducing the heat and covering the pot after the cooking water is absorbed. Batmanglij's published method also distinguishes an uncovered absorption stage from a final covered low-heat stage. Watching the pan rather than blindly combining minutes from incompatible sources is the practical principle used here.

The close-fitting lid replaces the cloth-wrapped lids shown in some other preparations. The combination of the chosen quantities, pot and lid has not been cooked by Culinara; check tenderness rather than promising that a specific burner setting or timing always works. If your rice package specifies a materially different method, do not assume this example supersedes it.

Sources: [1] [3] [2]

Handle leftovers as cooked perishable food

FDA food-safety guidance advises refrigerating perishables promptly, keeping a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or lower, and using shallow containers for faster cooling. Refrigerate within two hours after preparation, or within one hour when the environment is hotter than 90°F (32°C).

This source supports general cold-storage precautions, not the specific rice water ratio or a fixed multi-day shelf life. We have not measured cooking time, final serving yield or storage longevity for this exact batch.

Sources: [4] [5]

Research sources

  1. Etrat Elahi — Kata, Encyclopaedia Iranica (checked 2026-10-21)
  2. Azita Mehran — Kateh, Persian Style Plain and Simple Rice (checked 2026-10-21)
  3. Najmieh Batmanglij — Kateh (Persian Stove-Top Rice), Epicurious / Joon (checked 2026-10-21)
  4. FDA — Refrigerator Thermometers and Food Safety (checked 2026-10-20)
  5. FDA — Safe Food Handling (checked 2026-10-20)