Group · Starchy foods
Basmati rice (cooked)
Basmati rice is a fragrant long-grain rice grown at the foot of the Himalayas, in India and Pakistan. Its name means « queen of fragrances » in Hindi. The grains lengthen as they cook and stay separate, which makes it the rice of biryanis and Indian dishes.
On the nutrition side, cooked basmati provides 148 kcal per 100 g, with 32.9 g of carbohydrate, 3.19 g of protein, 0.6 g of fibre and 0.4 g of fat. It is very slightly lower in calories than round white rice, the difference being mostly down to the amount of water absorbed.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 148 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 629 kJ |
| Protein | 3,2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 32,9 g |
| Fat | 0,4 g |
| Fibre | 0,6 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese0,32 mg16 %
- Vitamin E1,12 mg9 %
- Selenium4,29 µg8 %
- Copper0,08 mg8 %
- Zinc0,51 mg5 %
- Phosphorus30,2 mg4 %
- Magnesium5,26 mg1 %
- Vitamin B50,07 mg1 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents8,77 µg
See the other 5 nutrients
- Omega-6 LA0,11 g1 %
- Calcium7 mg1 %
- Potassium14 mg1 %
- Vitamin A1,25 µg0 %
- Omega-3 ALA0 g0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Its glycaemic index is lower than that of other white rices. This is its real nutritional distinction: its high amylose content, a form of starch that is slower to digest, puts it clearly below round rice or pre-cooked rice. A genuine plus if you keep an eye on your blood sugar.
Rinse, then soak. Rinsing removes surface starch; soaking for thirty minutes lets the grains lengthen without breaking. Then use one part rice to one and a half parts water, keep the lid on, and leave it to rest off the heat for ten minutes.
The portion. Allow 60 to 80 g raw per person, which is roughly 180 g cooked. Basmati swells less than round rice, so the same quantity looks lighter on the plate, which is easy to be fooled by.
What you put on it decides the meal. Basmati with red lentils and vegetables makes a dish that is complete in protein; the same rice drowned in butter sauce makes a very different meal. Rice is a base, never the problem.
Wholegrain brown rice is still better for fibre. 0.6 g per 100 g cooked is not much. Alternating with wholegrain basmati, quinoa or bulgur wheat provides the fibre and minerals that refining has removed.
If you have diabetes: the glycaemic index of rice ranges from 48 for parboiled rice to over 89 for jasmine rice. See the comparison in our guide to rice and diabetes.
Sources
Average nutrition values per 100 g, given as a guide only (they may vary by brand, cut and preparation).
