lunaticsinge.com - Indian Cuisine Rice & Grains

Plain Basmati Rice - (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw basmati rice

2 cups water

Kosher salt

1. Put the rice in a bowl and fill the bowl with water. Run your fingers through the rice, then pour the water off through a fine-mesh strainer. Do this two or three times; the water will get less and less cloudy with each wash.

2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a generous amount of salt.

3. Add the washed and drained rice, and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes.

4. When you open the lid, you will notice steam pockets that have formed in the rice. The water should have totally dried up. If not, cover and cook a few more minutes. Use a fork to gently stir the cooked rice, so as not to break the grains

Aromatic Yellow Rice - (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small red onion, sliced

2 whole cloves

1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods, bruised

1 Indian bay leaf or Mediterranean bay leaf

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh or frozen peas (optional)

1 cup basmati rice, washed

2 cups water

Kosher salt

1 In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaf then stir till aromatic, about 5 minutes, Add the turmeric and sugar, stir briskly to ensure the turmeric doesn't burn. Add the peas (if using) and rice, and stir to coat with the flavored oil for about a minute.

2. Add the water and salt then stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the saucepan with a lid. Allow to cook for 15 to 18 minutes.

3. When you open the lid, you will notice steam pockets that have formed in the rice. The water should have totally dried up. If not, cover and cook a few more minutes. Use a fork to gently stir the cooked rice, so as not to break the grains. Serve with any main dish.

Rice & Lentil One-Pot Meal - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of clarified butter or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 to 3 dried red chiles, broken in half

3 Indian bay leaves or Mediterranean bay leaves

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, slivered

1/2 teaspoon asafetida powder (from the celery family)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 cup rice

1 cup split yellow mung beans

1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped

1/2 cup potato, chopped

1/2 cup peas

1 medium tomato, chopped

Kosher salt

4 cups water

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1. In a heavy saucepan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter until it's shimmering. Add the cumin seeds, chiles, bay leaves, and ginger, then sauté until the seeds crackle. Add the asafetida and turmeric and stir for no longer than 10 seconds.

2. Add the rice, mung beans, carrot, potato, peas, and tomato. Stir together with the flavored clarified butter. Season with salt. Add the water, sugar, and raisins. Stir again.

3. When the mixture starts to simmer, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Check once while cooking to see if the water has dried out. If so, add more to ensure that the beans and rice are cooked completely. The consistency should be rather mushy, like a risotto, so if the grains are slightly broken or the mixture is a bit runny, it's okay. Serve hot with a garnish of the remaining clarified butter (do not garnish with vegetable oil) and a side of Spiced Fried Eggplant.

Quick Meat Pilaf - (Serves 4 to 5)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or clarified butter

1 large red onion, sliced thin

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

3 green cardamom pods

2 Indian bay leaves or Mediterranean bay leaves

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 teaspoons red chili powder or paprika

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala

2 cups basmati or any long-grain rice

Kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh peas (optional)

1 small potato, diced (optional)

1 carrot, diced fine (optional)

1 cup leftover vegetables or meat-based curries (no lentils)

1 1/2 cup water or beef, chicken or vegetable stock.

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaves. Saute until the onion is golden brown and the spices are aromatic, about 8 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the coriander, turmeric, and chili powder, then stir vigorously for 30 seconds, then stir in the ginger-garlic paste and garam masala; cook for 5 minutes longer.

3. Stir in the rice and season with salt.

4. Add the peas, potato, and carrot (if using). and the leftover curry and water, and increase the heat to medium. When the stock simmers, return the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until all the moisture is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. If the liquid is drying up too quickly, add 1/4 cup water or stock and stir with the handle of the spoon so as not to break the rice grains. Turn off the heat once the rice is tender.

5. Uncover the pan and allow the rice to air dry for about 5 minutes before fluffing. Serve hot with Cooling Yogurt and Vegetable Salad.

Aromatic Shrimp Pilaf - (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 tablespoons grated coconut, fresh or frozen-thawed

2 tablespoons tomato puree or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 to 4 green chiles, halved lengthwise, stemmed

2 teaspoons red chili powder

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 1/2-inch) piece ginger, grated

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons canola oil

4 whole cloves

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods

4 Indian bay leaves or Mediterranean bay leaves

2 whole star anise cloves

1 cup red onion, finely chopped

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed & drained

3 cups hot water

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. in a large bowl, mix the shrimp, turmeric, lime juice, and ginger-garlic paste and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate the shrimp while you prepare the masala paste in step 2 and start the pilaf.

2. In a blender, combine the coconut, tomato puree, chiles, chili powder, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of water and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.

3. In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, and star anise. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the marinated shrimp and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the masala paste from the blender and mix well to distribute the paste and coat the shrimp. Stir vigorously until the mixture is well blended and the oil starts to separate from the sauce, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the rice to the pan and stir gently until the spice mixture coats the grains. Add the hot water, coconut milk, and salt. Cover the pan, and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, remove the lid, and let the mixture cook without stirring until the rice is ender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.