Steve, your method is essentially the one I've been using for yonks, only using long grain rice, for a superbly adaptable recipe with the family name of "Rice Thing" (but I accept that a proper job demands proper risotto rice) Well, the thing about rice is that even the most expensive rice is cheap. It's an ingredient I won't compromise on. The best risotto rice for two of us costs less than a portion of good organic spuds for two of us. I've heard about folks using rice other than traditional risotto rice for risottos, and getting good results, but I've never tried it. For my curries I buy the best basmati I can lay my hands on and it's still cheap. By the way, cooking basmati: measure out your rice. Rinse it in cold water several times and drain it. Put in pan with salt and EXCESS BOILING water and boil for exactly twelve minutes. Stir at the beginning only, to ensure that grains don't stick to each other. Drain. If this doesn't work for you, you're barking mad.