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Plain Rice
flavored with spices/seasonings/nuts/seeds - Rice is the staple food in
southern, central and eastern parts of India and when eaten at an Indian meal forms the
major part of the meal. |
| Namkin Chawal Plain Savoury
Rice |
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Ingredients:
Serves: 4
21/2 cups long grain rice 4 cups hot water
2 teaspoons ghee 2'h teaspoons salt |
Method:
Wash rice well and soak I hour in cold water. Drain in colander while
bringing water, ghee and salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Add
rice, stir and bring quickly to the boil. Turn heat very low, cover tightly and cook,
without lifting lid or stirring, for 20-25 minutes. Lift lid to allow steam to escape for
about 5 minutes, then lightly fluff up rice with fork, taking care not to mash the grains,
which will be firm, separate and perfectly cooked. Dish up using a slotted metal spoon
rather than a wooden spoon, which will crush the grains. Serve with curries or other
spiced dishes. |
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Rajasthani Pilau - Festive
Spiced Rice (Rajasthan)
The State of Rajasthan is beautiful. Costumes in vivid colours dazzle and enchant. Even
the food reflects this love of colour, dishes being garnished with the bright reds and
greens that Rajasthani folk delight in. |
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Ingredients:
Serves: 4-6
2 1/2 cups long grain rice
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cardamom pods, bruised
6 whole cloves
4 cups hot stock or water
Salt to taste
Garnish:
red and green food colouring carrots and tomatoes |
Method:
If the rice needs washing, wash well in several changes of cold water and leave to soak
for 1 hour. Then drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes.
Heat ghee or oil in a large, heavy saucepan and fry the sliced onion with the cinnamon,
cardamoms and cloves until the onions are golden, stirring frequently so that they brown
evenly. Add the rice and fry for about 3 minutes, then pour in the stock or water. Add the
salt and stir well while bringing quickly to the boil. Turn heat very low, cover tightly
and cook without lifting lid for 25 minutes. Uncover, allow steam to escape for a few
minutes, remove whole spices.
Take 'i cup cooked rice and colour bright red; colour an equal amount bright green.
Garnish the dish with tomato and carrot roses and the coloured rice. Serve hot with curry. |
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| Rice with Peas - Mattar Pilau
(Uttar Pradesh) |
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Ingredients:
Serves: 4-5
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1 tablespoon ghee
4 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
3 or 4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2cups shelled green peas
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/4 cups hot water |
Wash the rice well and leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Heat
the ghee in a heavy saucepan and fry the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cummin seeds,
for 1 minute. Add turmeric and rice and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add
peas, salt and hot water. Bring quickly to the boil, then turn heat very low, cover with a
well-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 minutes without lifting lid or stirring. Uncover at
end of cooking time to allow steam to escape for about 3 minutes. Remove whole spices,
fork rice grains lightly and serve hot with meat or vegetable curries. |
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| Rice with Sesame Seeds
- Til Bhath (South India) |
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Ingredients:
Serves: 4-6
2'h cups long grain rice
4 cups water
2'/s teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons light sesame oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
12 curry leaves
1 cup sesame seeds lemon juice to taste |
Method:
Put rice, water and salt into a heavy saucepan, bring to the boil. Cover with well-fitting
lid, turn heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave while preparing
seasoning.Heat sesame oil in small saucepan and fry
the mustard seeds and curry leaves until leaves are brown and mustard seeds pop. Add the
sesame seeds and keep stirring over medium heat until the seeds are evenly golden brown.
Mix this seasoning together with the hot cooked rice and add a little lemon juice to
taste. Serve with curried vegetables, fresh chutney and fried pappadams. |
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Navrattan Pilau
Rice with Fresh Cheese, Nuts and Vegetables (Moghul Style) Picture back cover |
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Ingredients:
Serves: 6
2 1/2 cups basmati rice or other long grain nice
250 g (8 oz) panir or ricotta cheese
oil for deep frying
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely shredded fresh ginger
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 small stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
10 whole black peppercorns
1 cup small cauliflower sprigs
1/2 cup shelled peas
4 cups water
3 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons pistachio kernels, blanched
1/4 cup sultanas
Garnish:
small red tomatoes |
Method:
Wash rice well and leave to drain for at least 30 minutes. Cut ricotta cheese or panir
into small cubes and leave on absorbent paper to drain if there is any excess moisture: In
a heavy saucepan heat enough oil to deep fry the cubes of cheese, and add to it 1
tablespoon of the ghee to flavour it. Have ready the ground turmeric stirred into a cup of
hot water. Deep fry the cubes of cheese, a few at a time, until just golden. Remove from
oil with slotted spoon and soak in the turmeric water. When all have been fried and soaked
for 5 minutes, remove them to kitchen paper to drain. In the same oil fry the almonds
until golden, remove and drain.Pour off all but
about 2 tablespoons oil, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee and fry the sliced onions,
garlic, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns. When the onions are golden add
the cauliflower and peas and fry for 2 minutes, then add the rice and fry, stirring, for a
further 3 minutes. Add water and salt, bring to the boil, then turn heat very low and
cook, tightly covered, for 20 minutes without lifting lid or stirring. Remove from heat,
pick out whole spices which will have come to the top. Fork the fried cheese, half the
almonds, pistachios and sultanas through the rice. Dish up and garnish with remaining nuts
and sultanas and small red tomatoes. Serve with a rich meat curry such as roghan josh or
kofta kari (page 104). |
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