Forbidden Black Rice with Ginger and Coconut

January 16, 2013 2 Comments

Ironically enough, it is really when the weekend hits I am left with no doubts that the vacation is indeed over. For all its wonderful moments, the vacation left me with a bug that I am still recovering from leaving me mostly equipped for dealing with the ongoing this too barely.  So, the kitchen has been mostly relegated to anyone who chooses to cook in it through the week.

On Friday, however to shake myself out of the blues I went food shopping and came back with a bag of black rice among the essentials. I realize that this may sound strange, but it is in trying new ingredients that I feel happy and winter leaves a lot of room for all of this since the garden and its bounty does not keep me on my toes. 

Playing with colored rice is not typical in my kitchen, sure I do the occasional brown rice thing, I tend to prefer Quinoa to brown rice and for most practical purposes, the white snowy grains of Basmati is what makes the starch engine in our household run. An aged grain, it does work as a complex carbohydrate, but today is not about white basmati but about the shiny black grains of rice that I picked up.

It turns out Black rice is naturally black and of course an unpolished grain. I first cooked it up and we enjoyed it plain, it works nicely with curried slightly nutty and complex. 

Interestingly enough, a couple of days of the weekend Mommy shuttle, I was back to feeling low. I have been indulging in a little bit of extra sleep since Sunday and it has actually been great.  There are lots of good food thoughts, I want to share with you and lots of dishes that I want to cook, but, I will do it all once I feel stronger.  I have so far started the year on low key note in terms of food changes. I must be learning, my resolve for January and the rest of the months is to be very fastidious about getting in my five servings of fruits or vegetables a day and the past two weeks, I have been succeeding. Simple and attainable goal!

I did sneak in something simple but surprisingly flavorful with the black rice and that is what I will share with you today. I added a touch of ginger, hint of coconut and finished it off with lime. This dish was very simple and complimented the naturally sweet carrot stir-fry that I made with it perfectly. 

The grain cooks up slightly sticky and changes to a very deep and pretty shade of purple, so the rice is also called forbidden rice or purple rice.

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Forbidden Rice with Ginger and Coconut

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A simple and flavorful preparation with black or forbidden rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of black or forbidden rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 fresh lime or lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil on medium heat until the oil is nice and hot.
  2. Add in the ginger and saute lightly until fragrant.
  3. Add in the salt and the rice and stir well.
  4. Add in the water and bring to a simmer and cover and cook the rice for 40 minutes on medium low heat.
  5. The water should evaporate and the rice should be soft at this point.
  6. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, remove the cover, fluff the rice, squeeze in the lime and serve.
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Forbidden Rice with Ginger and Coconut

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A simple and flavorful preparation with black or forbidden rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of black or forbidden rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 fresh lime or lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil on medium heat until the oil is nice and hot.
  2. Add in the ginger and saute lightly until fragrant.
  3. Add in the salt and the rice and stir well.
  4. Add in the water and bring to a simmer and cover and cook the rice for 40 minutes on medium low heat.
  5. The water should evaporate and the rice should be soft at this point.
  6. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, remove the cover, fluff the rice, squeeze in the lime and serve.
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Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Uncategorized Tagged With Black Rice, Coconut, Ginger, Gluten Free, Lime, Rice, Vegan

Summer Intertia – Eggplant and Purslane Pilaf

October 6, 2012 Leave a Comment

This time of year, I move into Fall, with anticipation and joy at the colorful translation of the landscapes. It is also the time of the year, when I do not want to lose sight of some of the good summer recipes that I did not have time to share with you. So, here is my Eggplant rice with Purslane. It is an adaptation of the classic Vangi Bhaat or South Indian style Eggplant Pilaf. The outside is slowing down, but we still get a steady supply of greens and enough lone vegetables to keep us going.

This week seems to have been all about the book, even though I had promised myself when the time came I would not lose focus. I guess, the book is much like a new baby that steals the show from everything else in the house. I remember how unprepared I was for the older one, anxious, nervous and hard on myself. My son Aadi, though more of a handful, had been easier just because I was more prepared and also more willing to be easier on myself.  Being a good learner most of the time, I have realized that the it is ok not to be perfect and also learnt to forgive myself for mistakes as a mom.

This has helped me make peace with the fact that I will not be great at promoting the book baby. This being said, it will be special to me.

Now, back to cooking, this time of the year I often have several residual summer dishes, that I have to decide whether to blog and share for posterity or just forget and let them meander into nothingness, this fresh and lively pilaf, a riff on the classic version called Vangi Bhat, was certainly worth bringing out and saving for next summer when both the eggplants and purslane will grow.

Purslane, grows on its own terms a colorful and nutritious weed. I was exceedingly surprised when I realized that it is quite popular in Southern India, and aparently was also liked and eaten by Gandhi. The taste of this plant varies with the time of the day, it is eaten and usually tends to be tarter in the mornings and more mellow and almost sweet in the evenings.

So, it was a happy and colorful marriage, when I paired it with eggplant and peanuts in this colorful rice dish. Given how much we all liked it, chances are this will be a long lasting late summer marriage. In that, we shall see the duo and welcome them again, next summer.

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Summer Intertia – Eggplant and Purslane Pilaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6

A brightly colored light and nutritious one dish meal.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raw shelled peanut
  • 2 tablespoons oil (olive or mustard)
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 11/2 teaspoons ginger paste
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1 medium sized eggplant, diced
  • 1 cup of basmati rice, washed throughly
  • 2 cups of water
  • 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped purslane

Instructions

  1. 1. In a skillet, dry roast the peanuts until they are a few shades darker and are fragrant, this will take about 5 minutes, and needs to be watched and shaken while cooking.
  2. 2. Set the peanuts aside.
  3. 3. In a cooking pot add the oil and heat on medium heat for about 45 seconds.
  4. 4. Add in the black mustard seeds and wait unitl the mustard seeds begin to pop.
  5. 5. Add in the red onion and the red chilies and stir well and saute for about 4 minutes until the onion melts and is transluscent.
  6. 6. Add in the eggplant and stir well. Cover and lower the heat and let the eggplant cook for about 4 minutes, it should be somewhat tender at this point.
  7. 6. Add in the rice and the water and mix well.
  8. 7. Add in the turmeric and the salt and when the water is simmering, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
  9. 8. Remove the cover, at this point the water should be almost absorbed and the rice fluffy and yellow.
  10. 9. Stir in the purslane and the peanuts and mix with the light hand.
  11. 10. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes and turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Filed Under Ginger, Grains and Lentils, Local and Backyard Cooking, Turmeric, Uncategorized Tagged With Eggplant, Mustard Seeds, One Dish meal, peanuts, Purslane, Rice, Summer, Vangi Bhaat, Vegan

A foraged green garlic rustic rice dish

April 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

 Another  garden season is upon, and before I realize we have produce trickling in. So far, we have had radishes and asparagus. I have also been doing my own little things, we have basil that is all ready for picking. But, we have all been foraging. Let me explain, as we have scoped through the edges of our yard, we have discovered some wonderful wild garlic. It is right at the edge adjacent to some thorny weeds, which also dilligently show up every year. I have been thrilled and have been using it for almost anything that I can think of. So far, I have used it for pasta, actually made some aioli, I shall share that recipe soon and then yesterday this rice dish. It was simple and quick and I added in some green chickpeas that I had in the freezer.

This added depth and nutrition to the recipe and the rice actually worked well as a simple one dish meal. The flavors of this green garlic, is earthy but still delicate enough to only hold its own with simple spices. So I have added some toasted mustard seeds and of course olive oil for popping the seeds.  I am clearing out the freezer, in fact, it is begining to look so bare. I might almost be able to fit in the ice-cream maker container in time for summer.

This weekend was just what I needed after a very intense week at work. All the picture taking, for the projects have been also leaving me exhausted. On Sunday, the husband took the children for a lego robotics workshop and informed me that another mom left him with three other kids. He was rather tired and very appreciative of this flavorful and simple meal, which took me less than an hour to prepare and was seasoned by an unexpected gift of nature.

Wild Garlic and ChickPea Pilaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 cup cumin seeds

A few bunches of wild garlic, minced with the whites and greens separated

1 cup white basmati rice

3/4 cup green chickpeas, fresh or frozen (can be substituted, with green peas)

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 3/4 cups water

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil on medium heat for a minute.

2. Add in the mustard and cumin seeds and wait till they begin to crackle, this usually happens within 30 seconds.

3. Add in the minced garlic whites and cook for about one and a half minutes until they are fragrant and turn very pale golden.

4. Add in the green and saute lightly till wilted.

5. Add in the rice, green chickpeas, tomato, salt and water.

6. Bring the water to a simmer and cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the cover, by now the water should have been absorbed and the grains of rice should be nice and swollen.

Ps. I shall be posting pictures of Millenia the robot that the kids saw soon, since they seem to be so taken by it.

 

Filed Under Mustard, Uncategorized Tagged With Backyard, Foraging, Green Chickpeas, Green Garlic, Local, Mustard Seeds, Pilaf, Rice, Spring, Vegan

Idli – Steamed Indian Sourdough Rice and Lentil Buns

January 18, 2012 Leave a Comment

  

 Idlis are now in the list of family dishes that have been gracing our household table pretty frequently in the last month. I usually make these sourdough steamed rice and lentil buns more often in summer, when the weather is more conducive to the natural fermentation that the the base needs. However, this is one of the things in the shortlist that my daughter seems to be able to tollerate, so we have been enjoying these light and snowy creations with her. Actually, I have had a bunch of them left over from batches that I have used up in two creative recipes, that I am pleased about.

It is actually going onto month two with my daughter being under weather. We are finally scheduled to have an Endoscopy this Wednesday.  It has been a little unnerving to think of her going through a procedure where she needs to be anethesized, but I hope that at the end of the day, they are able to identify and fix the problem. In general, I have started the year feeling uneasy about health. I have been good about getting on the treadmill, ignoring the fact that it takes me a long time to even do a basic routine. Today, I was able to do the baseline 35 minute run/walk. It is not a marathon, but all races have to start somewhere.

Making an idli, is not difficult, nor does it need a lot of attention, the sourdough however, does need preparation time for soaking and fermentation. So, just plan for 36 hours before cooking them. Also, if you live in the northeast like me, you need to identify a warm place in your house. It can be your oven, assuming you are cooking on the stovetop. In our case, I the prepared batter in the boiler room and forget about it for 18-24 hours. I have played around with the composition as well, while using a proportion of the rice and lentils in this batter. While a basic proportion of using 2 parts rice to 1 part lentils is the best, I tend to like the texture and softness with about 2 and 1/4 cups rice to 3/4 parts lentils the best.

It is essential to use a short grain parboiled rice, rather than the long grain basmati rice, this can be found in Indian stores sold as Idli rice.

The recipe is otherwise relatively simple,

Idli – Steamed Sourdough Rice and Lentil Buns

Prep Time: 36 hours (mostly unattended)

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups shortgrained parboiled rice

3/4 cup white lentils (urad dal)

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/4 inch fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Water for soaking and grinding

Light oil for greasing the moulds

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the rice and the lentils separately overnight for at least 12-14 hours.

2. Wash and drain the grains.

3. Place the rice in the blender with about 1/2 cup of water and add in the fenugreek and ginger and blend in a blender for about 5-7 minutes, pausing if needed to ensure are smooth paste with just a hint of texture.

4. Place the liquid in a large container with a lid and enough space to allow the batter to ferment and expand, much like bread dough.

5. Place the white lentils with about 1/4 cup of water and blend, until smooth. This should not take very long.

6. Gently mix this into the rice mixture, the batter should have the consistency of thick pancake or waffle batter.

7. Let the batter rest undisturbed for at least 15-20 hours.  At this point the batter should smell yeasty, fruity and be a mass of soft frothy bubbles.

8. Lightly oil the idli moulds. Pour the batter into the mould till about 3/4 full, allowing a little room to let the buns rise.

9. Add about 2 inches of water in a large stock pot, or a pressure cooker (note, I use this because it is the largest pot with a lid in my house that fits the idli moulds.

10. Bring the water to a simmer, gently lower the filled idli moulds and cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the idlies rest for about 10 minutes, before gently un-molding them and serving.

 

 

 

 

 

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Idli – Steamed Indian Sourdough Rice and Lentil Buns
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

A steamed rice and lentil preparation of buns using a natural method of fermenting to produce a gluten free sour dough.
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups short grained parboiled rice
  • ¾ cup white lentils (urad dal)
  • ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • ¼ inch fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Water for soaking and grinding
  • Light oil for greasing the moulds

Instructions
  1. Soak the rice and the lentils separately overnight for at least 12-14 hours.
  2. Wash and drain the grains.
  3. Place the rice in the blender with about ½ cup of water and add in the fenugreek and ginger and blend in a blender for about 5-7 minutes, pausing if needed to ensure are smooth paste with just a hint of texture.
  4. Place the liquid in a large container with a lid and enough space to allow the batter to ferment and expand, much like bread dough.
  5. Place the white lentils with about ¼ cup of water and blend, until smooth. This should not take very long.
  6. Gently mix this into the rice mixture, the batter should have the consistency of thick pancake or waffle batter.
  7. Let the batter rest undisturbed for at least 15-20 hours. At this point the batter should smell yeasty, fruity and be a mass of soft frothy bubbles.
  8. Lightly oil the idli moulds. Pour the batter into the mould till about ¾ full, allowing a little room to let the buns rise.
  9. Add about 2 inches of water in a large stock pot, or a pressure cooker (note, I use this because it is the largest pot with a lid in my house that fits the idli moulds.
  10. Bring the water to a simmer, gently lower the filled idli moulds and cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the idlies rest for about 10 minutes, before gently un-molding them and serving.

Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Regional Indian, Uncategorized Tagged With Fermenting, Gluten Free, Lentils, Rice, Rice and Pasta, Sourdough, Vegan

Watching Storm Clouds – Trying to Cook

October 4, 2011 1 Comment

Animals learn to recognize weather symbols early, maybe it is there experience living outdoors with the elements.  There was unfortunately that same uncanny sense of realization, when my father paid the last visit to us over two years back. I knew I needed to get back as much as I possibly could. Every visit was with a sense of frustation expecting and knowing that the end would come and yet when it came it still left me startled. I have realised watching the clouds and seeing them there does not still take away the effect of the storm when it comes. The rain still lashes and drenches. The wait makes the experience settle in deeper often without realizing it.

The scared dog or cat hides for a long time before they can come out.

The signs of the strom linger and hit you when you least expect it. I remember watching our garden recover from the recent bout with Irene. Some of the plants did die and then there were others we thought that would never make it, but they did eventually come back to life.

The past few days, I have not been able to get into the kitchen, this has been unsettling for the kids so I went in last evening to put together a simple one dish meal. There is a lot of comfort in trying to find simple soulful food, something that nourishes without taxing the senses.

A dish from the Southern state of Karnataka, it is a variation of what is more popularly called kichari is other parts of India. This recipe is essentially a medley of the hearty lentil stew called sambhar featured as an almost daily item in South India and rice making it an infinitely well suited one-dish meal.

Also, cooked best in the pressure cooker, the recipe gets done in under about 30 minutes, using the cooker. Despite using the pressure cooker, I cook this recipe in stages because I think it is essential to preserve the essential character of the spices and retain the natural texture of the vegetables.

Bisi Bele Bhaat – Rice and Lentils Seasoned with Tamarind and Sambhar Masala

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes (using a pressure cooker or about 2 hours without)

Makes 10 servings

A rice and lentil dish from Karnataka, India

Ingredients

1 cup yellow pigeon pea lentils (toor dal, preferably the oily variety)

6 cups of water

1 teaspoon salt

2 tomatoes chopped

1 tablespoon sambhar masala

¾ cup rice, preferably a short grain variety

2 tablespoons tamarind paste or ½ cup tamarind water

1/3 cup chopped green beans

1 small eggplant, chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

½ cup green peas

For the tempering

1.5 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black split urad dal (split mapte beans)

½ teaspoon channa dal

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

2-3 dried red chilies

10 curry leaves

To garnish

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the toor dal and half the water at the base of a pressure cooker. Add in the turmeric, salt and tomatoes and cook under pressure for about 15 minutes. The texture of the lentils should be soft and creamy with flecks of the tomato in the mixture.

2. Add in the sambhar masala and the rice and the remaining water and cover and pressure cook the mixture for about 10 more minutes, at this point the mixture should still fairly thin, but the rice should be almost cooked through.

3. Add in the tamarind paste and the vegetables and continue cooking on medium heat for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick and smooth. The color should be a somewhat dark yellow color.

4. Heat the ghee on medium heat for about 1 minute until the ghee has melted and is fairly hot.

5. Add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and within 15 seconds once the mustard seeds are done crackling,Add in the black urad dal and the channa dal and cook for another 10 seconds to allow the seeds to darken a little.

6. Add in the asafetida, red chilies and the curry leaves and allow them to crackle a little and pour the spiced butter over the lentils.Gently mix in the seasonings and simmer the mixture another 3-4 minutes before serving.

Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Regional Indian, Uncategorized Tagged With carrots, Green Beans, Indian Regional Cuisine, Karnataka, Lentils, One Dish Meals, Rice, Sambhar Masala, South India, tamarind, Toor Dal, Vegetarian

Lentil, Rice and Bay Scallop Pilaf with Spinach

August 14, 2011 Leave a Comment

To pack for this unexpected somber sojourn, I was traveling with a suitcase that was so light that it surprised almost anyone who lifted it, and to keep me company a whole bunch of camera SD cards. I have more little memory gizmos than most people, it really is for the most part a way to keep track of different pictures. Work being rather busy, I packed a few things to work on. I was amazed and grateful to everyone at work for their support and unconditional acceptance of the situation. I am also grateful that I can try to keep myself fulfilled through the process of things that are tedious but allow me to stay distracted especially when times are not so good.

 I had embarked on this trip kicking and screaming and frankly feeling very unsure and strangled, it is not always easy to want to come and see a parent who is so ailing, or even watch them through the unpleasant transition, I felt particularly lost without the safety of my little ones. It is amazing how therapeutic the presence of your children can be. The interesting and amazing part of life is that we have an amazing resilience and inertia to get used to most situations and things.

 This recipe was a surprisingly comforting creation, that I had concocted in early fall last year. It actually is a good rainy treat as well, it borders along the line of a good kichri, that is a rice and lentil medley, the trick dimension here is there is a generous amount of spinach and some small wild caught scallops folded in. It is a part of a series of scallop recipes that I developed to deal with my joy when I realized that my 8-year liked the scallops.

Lentil and Bay Scallop Pilaf

 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

 4 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small onion, cut into a small dice

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

4 green cardamoms

1 large stick cinnamon, broken

1/3 cup split yellow moong lentils

½ cup buttermilk

¾ cup basmati rice

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

4 cups of water

½ pound of bay scallops, rinsed and patter thoroughly dry

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach leaves

2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil on medium heat and add the cumin seeds and wait for about 30 seconds for the seeds to darken and turn very aromatic

2. Add in the onion and ginger and stir for about a minute.

3.Add in the cardamom and the cinnamon and stir well.

4.Add in the buttermilk and the lentils and bring to a simmer.

5.Cover and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until the buttermilk is absorbed and the lentils are still separate.

6.Add in the rice, salt and turmeric and mix well.

7.Add in the water and bring to a simmer.

8.Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the grains are soft but not mushy and the rice is almost cooked.

9.Remove the cover and add in the scallops, spinach and the ghee and mix well with a light hand.

10. Turn off the heat and cover tightly and let this rest for about 15 minutes.

11.Remove the cover and fluff and garnish with the cilantro before serving.

Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking Tagged With Fall, Fish on a Weeknight, Indian Food, Lentils, Local Indian, One Dish Meals, Pilafs, Rice, Rice Dishes, Scallops, Spinach

Son, Sunflowers and Dosas

June 1, 2011 Leave a Comment

I have often felt that if left to natural devices, the linkage between nature and nurture is close, by this I mean we can love an adopted child as much or more than our own. Sometimes, the difference might just be in knowing. Recently, we had a slightly unexpected case of bait and switch but neither me nor the son were any worse for it, actually I was rather touched by the Dad when I found out.

A couple of weeks before mother’s day, my son brought home a sunflower planter (given by school) with three small plants as a gift to nurture for mom. He is a very sensitive child and both my children are indeed growing up to be budding gardeners thanks to their father. This is what their twin plots are looking like at the moment.

Well, Aadi found a spot in our tiny yard right before where the cars are parked because he wanted his Ma to see the flowers when she came back from work. The little saplings grew and every Sunday, before I left with him for the weekend activities we would stop to admire them, especially the center sapling which was a little larger than the rest. It began to sprout the tiniest little bud, then a week later it had a growth spurt and we were delighted. Yesterday, when I stepped out in the evening I was thrilled to see the most perfect little sunflower I had seen, every inch of this tiny perfect flower reminded me of my smiling cherub and tears of gratitude filled my eyes. My son was on his way to bed, I promised we would get out and see it together and this morning we did and after dropping him to the bus, I headed for the train and another busy week with a song in my heart.

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Filed Under Deepta and Aadi, Regional Indian, Slow Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With Breads, Dosa, Garden Notes, Rice, South Indian

Intensely Flavorful Mushroom Pulao

April 13, 2010 Leave a Comment


I think that a person’s reactions to things change with age, at least mine sure does. I used to be very emotional when I was much younger and then when through a more sober phase, and I seem to be back to my old ways.
I seem to gush and cry over everything again. Interestingly enough, both my children have rather different temperaments. So my daughter who is rather pragmatic like her dad, is never quite sure what to make of this, on the other hand my son actually fuels and adds to the drama. In fact, he calls me, “my beautiful mother”. Well, I have been orcilating between high and emotions the past week. I have a little project on the way – a cookbook. It is much my kind of a project, being published by a very local boutique publisher, it allows me a lot of creative room to do more than share my recipes. There is some element of fear and nervousness at putting my recipes, “out there” more formally, but then again you have to try something at least once…
So, readers of this blog will be possibly listening to more stories about the book. If you really want to follow the countdown, do stop by the facebook page, The Contemporary Indian Table and become a fan.
Now down to the recipe, this simple pulao, is an ode to cumin and of course lovely lush mushrooms. It is amazing how much flavor a few small ingredients can produce.

Mushroom pulao with cashew nuts

Prep Time: 3-4 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon oil
1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, cut into a dice
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
3 pods cardamom
1 cup thickly sliced button mushrooms
1.5 cups of white basmati rice
2 3/4 water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry roasted cashew nuts
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the ghee and the oil and add in the cumin seeds and cook for about 30 seconds till the cumin sizzles becomes very aromatic.
2. Add in the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, till the onion softens, wilts and begins to turn golden. If you love cumin and onions as much as I do, you will simply do this step just to savor the fragrance of these two ingredients cooking together.
3. Add in the powdered cumin, cardamoms and the mushrooms and cook for another minute.
4. Add in the basmati rice and mix gently.
5. Add in the water and the salt and bring the water to a boil, let it simmer and cover and cook on medium heat for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes.
6. If you do not have roasted cashew nuts, place the raw cashew nuts on a skillet and lightly roast them till they turn very lightly golden at spots. This process enhances the flavor of the nuts.
7. Remove the cover and stir in the nuts, sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired and serve either alone or as a side.


Intensely Flavorful Mushroom Pulao

Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Mushrooms, Rice

Just in time – Cumin Garlic Rice

January 16, 2010 Leave a Comment

 Contrary to what we might believe, even on a busy night a simple homey meal cheers and comforts like nothing else. I think that it is obvious that with two little children and a crazy endless pace of days take outs do not fit into out routine.

I will confess that there are not a whole load of options around this sleepy town that we live in. Also, there is this unwinding routine that I need in my kitchen especially after busy days, particularly the busy days when I wonder if it is just money that takes me out of the house away from my children. Days when I do not even want to hear the anwer to that question.

The unwinding routine is simple. I through off my coat, change into my favorite and usually weathered and stained sweats and catch up on the bits and pieces of the children’s days. As I listen, I fit myself into the kitchen.

As if promted by some instictive force, I tend to reach out for my favorite spices, my parent grains and work by simle instinct.

Simple basic flavors in my world are – cumin, olive oil, clarified butter (just a drizzle), steaming white basmati. The meal pretty much cooks by itself while I shower.

A simple meal of rice and lentils never fails to cheer or revive, Dal- Bhaat (bengali) as I say it or Dal Chawal (Hindi) as my husband know it is the eternal simple basic food that we know and take for granted – just like water, home, love and safety.

The past week has brought us sad news with all the devastation in Haiti. Even when this little island nation wasnot part of one’s consciousness, you cannot help realize that world is a sadder place this week. I met a new co-worker who had lost a lot of family and cannot reach anyone. The instant simple impact of loss was so sudden and real. A calm meal like this is probably just perfect on any occasion. But was especially welcome on a day when you are tired and winding down with a touch of sadness.

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Cumin Garlic Rice with Corn and Green Peas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A simple variation on the basic Indian cumin rice, with color and flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ghee
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 cup white basmati rice, washed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup green peas (frozen)
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil and the ghee and add the cumin seeds and the garlic.
  2. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes until your senses are enveloped in the wonderful scent of toasted cumin and garlic.
  3. Add the red chili powder and the rice and mix well, coating the grains with the cumin and garlic mixture.
  4. Stir in the salt.
  5. Gently stir in the water and green peas and the corn.
  6. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 16-17 minutes.
  7. At this point the water should have evaporated, the rice should have absorbed all of the water and the peas and corn should be clinging around the surface.
  8. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about ten minutes covered and undisturned.
  9. Fluff the rice gently and to mix in the flavors and serve.
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Filed Under Bengali, Cumin, Grains and Lentils, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Cumin, Grains, Pilaf, Rice, Vegetarian Dishes

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