Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley Reviews

Switch up your side dishes with Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley

Overall

Rated 4 out of 5

I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's products and of basmati rice, so it was only a matter of time before I decided to try the company's Basmati Rice Medley.  The side dishes to our chicken, beef, and pork are usually some version of rice (white, brown, jasmine, basmati, etc) or potatoes (mashed, roasted, baked, etc).  I figured that this rice blend would be an easy way to provide some variety to our meals without much effort. 

The Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley comes in 1 pound clear plastic bags that cost about $3 each.  Aside from basmati rice, this blend contains wild rice,  and dehydrated (all of the following) carrots, onions, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, parlsy, garlic, and lemon peel.  To prepare it, you simply combine 1 cup of this rice mix with 2 cups of water or chicken broth and 1 tbsp of butter or oil.  You bring everything to a boil, mix the ingredients thoroughly, reduce heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.  After that time, you remove the pot from the heat, let it rest for 5 minutes, and then fluff with a spoon or fork before serving.

We just love the flavor of Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley but we do have to be careful with the amount of stock we use and exactly how long the mixture is cooked.  Let's just say that there is a reason that my family members bought me a rice cooker! I have had a few flavorless disasters when I haven't added enough broth and have tried to (over)compensate with extra added water.  I've also tried making it with extra liquids but no lid because it was in the middle of the dishwasher's cleaning cycle and I didn't feel like pulling it out.  No good.

You can make some really yummy Basmati Rice Medley if you take the time to follow the measurements exactly, keep it covered as directed, and let it stand for the 5 minutes as prescribed.  When I manage to make a good batch, it truly is super-yummy and well-worth the extra effort to drive the hour away to find a Trader Joe's store.  Recommended!