Basmati rice is a variety of long, slender grain aromatic rice which is traditionally from India and Pakistan. As of 2014, India supplies 65 percent of the overseas basmati rice market, while Pakistan accounts for the rest.

Basmati rice is known as the "fragrant" rice because it contains a natural aromatic chemical compound giving it a distinctive spicy fragrance and flavor.
This natural aroma is also found in cheese, fruits and other cereals.

According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, basmati rice has a "medium" glycemic index (between 56 and 69) opposed to regular white rice with a glycemic index of 89. This makes basmati rice more suitable for diabetics as compared to certain other grains and products made from white flour.

How To Cook

1. 1 cup brown Basmati rice
2. Kosher salt

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine rice, 2 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 50 minutes. (Do not lift the lid or stir!) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork and serve.

The first question to ask about all types of rice, is how much has it been processed?  Processing rice usually involves milling and polishing. Brown rice is the whole grain with just the first outer layer (husk or hull) removed through milling. The whole kernel is intact and is still surrounded by all the layers of bran, which contain the vital nutrients.

White rice is brown rice that has been milled to remove the bran and much of the germ, reducing fiber and nutrient content drastically. The grain is further polished to take away the remaining layer of germ (called the aleurone layer) which contains essential oils. 

The bran, germ, and aleurone layers of rice contain most of the fat content found in rice and are the source of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E as well as many other nutrients. If the high-fat components of the rice grain are left intact, the shelf life of the rice greatly declines. In this country it's all about the shelf life.

There is a processing technique called conversion that results in "converted rice." Converted rice is produced by steaming the whole grain before milling. This causes some of the B vitamins to migrate from the outside layers into the starchy center of the rice. This process leaves some B vitamins inside the converted rice even though the manufacturers remove the outside layers. The most nutritious rice is always, brown rice which is whole grain, minimally milled, and unpolished with its outer layers intact.

A nutritionally superior method of preparation
This involves soaking washed brown rice for 20 hours in warm water (34 °C or 93 °F) prior to cooking it. This process stimulates germination, which activates various enzymes in the rice. By this method, it is possible to obtain a more complete amino acid profile. This is something I have never done, but will do from now on.

Health Benefits
Calorie Content
Brown rice generally contains slightly fewer calories per serving than white rice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states
1 cup of cooked brown rice = 218 calories
1 cup of cooked white rice = 242 calories
Reduce the calories in half ... method of cooking your rice...Read How

Carbs and Fiber
The USDA reports
1 cup of brown rice = 46 grams of carbohydrates, including 4 grams of fiber.
1 cup white rice = 53 grams of carbs, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber.
Brown rice will make you feel more satisfied which is important when loosing weight, and can help improve blood cholesterol levels.

Protein and Fat
Both brown and white rice are low-fat foods, and each provides about 4.5 grams of protein in each 1-cup portion. In other words, these two types of rice don't differ much in terms of protein and fat content.

Vitamins and Minerals
Brown rice has…

• Twice the manganese and phosphorus as white
• 2 ½ times the iron, 3 times the vitamin B3
• 4 times the vitamin B1
• 10 times the vitamin B6

Brown Rice is Rich in Selenium. This trace mineral known to drastically reduce our chances of developing certain forms of cancer, as well as heart disease, inflammatory conditions and rheumatoid arthritis

Glycemic Index
Brown rice has a lower glycemic index (GI) than white rice. According to Harvard Health Publications, the average glycemic index of brown rice is 50, and the average white rice GI is 89. Foods with higher glycemic indexes tend to make your blood sugar rise quickly, but then drop. Lower GI foods don't cause a rapid blood sugar spike, but help you to feel full for longer periods of time.

Shelf Life
Brown rice has a shelf life of approximately 6 to 8 months, so buy smaller quantities of it.  If you refrigerate it or freeze it the shelf life is significantly extended. White rice has a shelf life of 10 years, it's dead already.

Sources:
Brown Rice Vs. White Rice, by Andrea Manitsas Mojo Foods, Aug.30 2011
http://www.organicauthority.com..Brown Rice Vs White Rice
The Worlds Healthiest Foods,  www.whfoods.org
Fit Day ..The Difference between Brown Rice and White Rice