Rice – Which type of UK supermarket rice is closest to Philippine rice

In Kerala style cuisine (which is what I'm most familiar with as an eater, not a cook) the rice is a short, white variety that is fried in ghee first. It's very similar to the short grain rice used in Japanese cooking.

I have no idea how this would be packaged in the United States, it's just Rice (for the short grain), or long grain/Basmati rice here. I depend on Indian friends to help me identify the good stuff.

As a cook, I find both the short, white style and plain white basmati work very well. The texture with the short grain rice is smoother, and you can taste more of the milk (or coconut milk) and cardamom. It's also very good served cold. The basmati produces a heartier rice pudding that is enhanced by adding extra raisins and cinnamon. I like this best hot.

As is mentioned in this question (and this one), one of the keys to keeping your rice from clumping is to rinse the uncooked rice with cold water until the water runs clear. This rinses off the starch on the surface of the rice. The starch can cause your rice to stick together.

Some types of rice are fluffier than others. The longer grain rices tend to have lower starch (and, of course, Arborio rice has so much starch that it makes for the characteristic texture of risotto). So even if it's not Jasmine or Basmati, they're probably using at least a medium grain, rather than short.

A quick Google search for Greek rice yields a lot of recipes that suggest sauteing the rice in oil before boiling it. This is a common technique for pilaf, and adds a nutty sort of taste. I'm not sure it'd have any effect on stickiness, but it might help with flavor. And you can also saute onions and other vegetables to add flavor.