Rice is one of those ingredients that rewards knowing. Different rices do different things and they are not interchangeable. Reach for the wrong one and the dish will feel off even if you cannot say why.
Basmati is for everyday cooking, for curries and anything fragrant. Round rice is for something slower and more unctuous, a simple side dish or a pudding. Long grain is for salads and cold dishes, where you want the grains separate and clean. Sticky rice is a world of its own.
It is worth keeping all three in the cupboard.
Plain Basmati, Round Rice, Long Grain, and Egyptian Rice each have their own page in the Library.
