Making a pot of perfectly fluffy rice is a deceptively simple task. There aren’t a lot of steps that stand between you and cooked rice, but the choices you make during this brief process can have a dramatic impact on the results.

I’ve been plagued with several orders of undercooked rice from restaurants — unpleasantly crunchy grains that fall below the standard for decent rice — but even more subtle mistakes matter when you’re cooking a staple ingredient that serves as the base for many dishes.

When it comes to the beautiful, long grains of basmati rice — a variety that originated in South Asia and has been cultivated in the region for centuries — you’re hoping for fluffy, separate grains with a subtle nutty and floral flavor. I’ve made basmati at home dozens of times, but the rice I prepare at home can’t compare to the perfectly cooked long-grain rice I enjoy at restaurants.

But thanks to the advice of chef, cookbook author, and television personality Maneet ChauhanI may soon come a little bit closer to basmati perfection.

Chauhan’s career is marked by extensive experience, starting with her apprenticeships at hospitality groups in India and advancing to her role as executive chef at Vermillion, a popular Indian-Latin American restaurant in Chicago. She also opened her own Nashville restaurant, Chauhan Ale and Masala House. Notable career highlights also include publishing several cookbooks, including her latest, Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India, among many other achievements.

By explaining professional-level techniques in approachable ways through television, events, and writing, Chauhan has helped home cooks worldwide improve their skills. And now, the world-famous chef has shared her secret to making a flawless pot of basmati rice, so you can try it too.

Washing your rice is a non-negotiable

Achieving the ideal texture for basmati rice starts with rinsing the grains. Chauhan explains that “You have to wash the rice until the water runs clear. What you are doing is making sure that the starches that are around the rice are washed off. Do not wash in warm water; it has to be cold water.”

The chef and Food Network star rinses her rice in a glass bowl, filling it with water, gently moving the grains around with her fingers to loosen the starches, then pouring out the cloudy liquid. She notes that you should keep rinsing “until the milkiness in the water completely becomes clear.”

If you’ve ever had issues with clumps or sticky rice, skipping this step might have been the issue. This powdery residue can turn gummy when cooked, causing the grains to stick together, and rinsing it off makes a world of difference.

Use two parts water to one part rice

Not every variety of rice calls for the exact same ratio of water to grain, and even among chefs, you might notice some subtle variations in the amount of liquid they prefer. According to Chauhan, “one cup of rice requires two cups of water,” or in other words, “put double the amount of water” compared to the rice.

She also notes that if you choose to soak your rice for 30 minutes before cooking, which she rarely has time to do, you should reduce the amount of water to one and a half cups per cup of rice.

How to cook the rice

After adding the rice and water to a pot, Chauhan tosses in some salt and butter, explaining that the butter “adds richness to the rice.” The chef then turns up the heat, waiting for the water to boil while occasionally giving the rice a gentle stir.

Unlike many other methods for cooking rice I’ve seen before, Chauhan doesn’t immediately put a lid on the pot after the water has come to a boil. Instead, she leaves the lid off and waits until “the level of the water and the level of the rice to be at the same level.” This means waiting for some of the water to cook off until the water and rice are at the exact same height in the pot.

Next, Chauhan places the lid on the pot and says to “let it cook for at least ten minutes on a really low flame.” After ten minutes have passed and all the water has evaporated, she recommends letting it sit for a few minutes with the heat off and the lid on if you’re able to wait.

From there, simply remove the lid, grab a fork, and fluff the tender, airy grains of rice that are ready to serve. As Chauhan emphasizes, “Once you make rice this way, you will not make it any other way.”