The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Rice the Indian Way (3 page)

This unusually tangy dish too is an eternal favourite in
South India.

Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups

Tamarind paste-1 tablespoon dissolved in half cup water

Jaggery-2 teaspoon

Clarified butter (
Ghee
) -1 tablespoon

Black Mustard-1/2 teaspoon

Ginger-1/2 inch piece chopped up finely

Curry leaves-a few

Deseeded chopped green chillies-1/2 teaspoon (this is only
for flavour and not to make it hot)

Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-a pinch

Roasted
Chana dal
(roasted split chick peas)-1/2
teaspoon

Salt to taste

Method

In a small wok (
kadhai
), add the clarified butter (
Ghee
)
and put it on your heat source.

As soon as the clarified butter warms up, add the black
mustard seeds, ginger,
chana dal
(split chick peas) and the curry leaves
till they all splutter and sizzle.

Now add the green chillies, turmeric and asafoetida.

Add the tamarind paste and jaggery and let the jaggery
dissolve.

Add the rice and salt. Mix well.

Turn off your heat source and let the tamarind paste and jaggery
seep into the rice.

Your tamarind rice is ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

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If you find Tamarind Rice a little unusual for your taste
buds, try this recipe which is also quite tangy.

Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups

Tomato puree-1/2 cup

Clarified butter (
Ghee
) -1 tablespoon

Fried Cashew nuts- 2 tablespoon

Black Mustard-1/2 teaspoon

Ginger-1/2 inch piece chopped up finely

Curry leaves-a few

Deseeded chopped green chillies-1/2 teaspoon (this is only
for flavour and not to make it hot)

Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-a pinch

Roasted
Chana dal
(roasted split chick peas)-1/2
teaspoon

Salt to taste

Method

In a small wok (
kadhai
), add the clarified butter (
Ghee
)
and put it on your heat source.

As soon as the clarified butter warms up, add the black
mustard seeds, ginger,
chana dal
(split chick peas) and the curry leaves
till they all splutter and sizzle.

Now add the green chillies, turmeric and asafoetida.

Add the tomato puree and cook the puree for a few minutes.

Add the rice and salt. Mix well.

Turn off your heat source.

Sprinkle the cashew nuts on the rice.

Your tomato rice is ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

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This is the poor man’s pulao made in a Jiffy. You can use
this recipe to add some zing to your left over rice, the North Indian way.

Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups

Onion sliced- 2 medium size

Cumin seeds (
Jeera
)-1/2 teaspoon

Green Cardamom (
Chhoti elaichi
)-2

Cinnamon (
Dalchini
)-1/2 inch

Cloves (
Laung
)-4

Bay leaf (
Tejpatta
)-1

Clarified butter (
Ghee
)-1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Sugar-1/4 teaspoon (dissolved in 2 tablespoon water)

Method

Place a small wok (
kadhai
) on your heat source.

Add the clarified butter (
Ghee
).

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Stir a little.

As soon as it starts giving off a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the onion slices. Do please make sure that the spices brown and not
burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Fry till the onions become nicely golden brown.

Add the rice. Mix well.

Now, add the salt and the sugar which has already been
dissolved in water. Stir again to mix well.

Switch off the heat source and take out the rice.

Enjoy!!!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 2 minutes

Total time: 7 minutes

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This is how the basic Indian pulao is made. If you master
this, you can make any kind of pulao.

Ingredients

Long grain rice (Basmati)-1 cup

Water-2 cups

Cumin seeds (
Jeera
)-1/2 teaspoon

Green Cardamom (
Chhoti elaichi
)-2

Cinnamon (
Dalchini
)-1/2 inch

Cloves (
Laung
)-4

Bay leaf (
Tejpatta
)-1

Clarified butter (
Ghee
)-1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Sugar-1/4 teaspoon

Method

Wash the rice well (in a vessel 3-4 times, but don’t rub it
lest the grains break) and let it naturally “dry”, on an inclined plate, for
15-20 minutes. This helps enhance the aroma.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, add the clarified butter and place it
on your heat source.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker BUT remove the weight.

When steam starts escaping from the vent (don’t worry, you
will hear that typical sound), reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if
cooking on gas, turn the knob to SIM(mer).

Wait for 10 minutes and switch off the gas. Take out the
rice.

Your hot fluffy
Jeera Pulao
is ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma in less than a
minute, add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Cover the pan/vessel with a well-fitting lid.

Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer). Let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes. Take out the rice.

Your hot fluffy
Jeera Pulao
is ready.

If using a rice cooker

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma in less than a
minute, add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Switch off the heat source and put all the ingredients into
the rice cooker.

Add the water.

Switch on the rice cooker and the let the rice cook. The
rice cooker will switch off on its own when the rice is cooked.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes with a pressure cooker; 17-22
minutes with a deep pan; and as indicated in the rice cooker manual

Total time: 32 minutes with a pressure cooker; 37-42 minutes
with a deep pan

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Ingredients

Long grain rice (Basmati)-1 cup

Water-2 cups

Black Cumin seeds (
Shahi Jeera
)-1/2 teaspoon

Green Cardamom (
Chhoti elaichi
)-2

Few strands of saffron dissolved in ¼ cup milk

Clarified butter (
Ghee
)-1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Sugar-1/4 teaspoon

Method

Wash the rice well (in a vessel 3-4 times, but don’t rub it
lest the grains break) and let it naturally “dry”, on an inclined plate, for
15-20 minutes. This helps enhance the aroma.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, add the clarified butter and place it
on your heat source.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
green cardamom.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Add the water and saffron dissolved in milk.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker BUT remove the weight.

When steam starts escaping from the vent (don’t worry, you
will hear that typical sound), reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if
cooking on gas, turn the knob to SIM(mer).

Wait for 10 minutes and switch off the gas. Take out the
rice.

Your hot fluffy Saffron
Pulao
is ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma in less than a minute,
add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that the spices
brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Cover the pan/vessel with a well-fitting lid.

Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer). Let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes. Take out the rice.

Your hot fluffy Saffron
pulao
is ready.

If using a rice cooker

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma in less than a
minute, add the rice along with the salt and sugar. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled.

Stir well.

Switch off the heat source and put all the ingredients into
the rice cooker.

Add the water.

Switch on the rice cooker and the let the rice cook. The
rice cooker will switch off on its own when the rice is cooked.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes with a pressure cooker; 17-22 minutes
with a deep pan; and as indicated in the rice cooker manual

Total time: 32 minutes with a pressure cooker; 37-42 minutes
with a deep pan

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Please note that the dishes listed in this chapter do
not come out well in a rice cooker. This is because all of the recipes need to
have a little water and are not completely dry and may get overbrowned in a
rice cooker.

Khichdi
literally means a mixture. In some form or
another, this is almost compulsorily prepared for the festival of
Makar
Sakranti
that is celebrated all over India and Nepal. This festival is also
known as
Pongal
in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam,
Lohri
in Punjab or
Uttarayan
in Gujarat.

Interestingly, this is one of the few Hindu festivals that
falls on the fixed day of 14 January, when the Sun moves from the Tropic of
Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer heralding the arrival of spring and the
beginning of the harvest season.

It is believed that on this day, Lord
Surya
(the Sun
God) visits the house of his son
Shani
(Saturn), who is the lord of the
Makar
rashi
(Capricorn) and the controller of the quantum of misfortune befalling
humans. To appease
Shani
, therefore, many Indians prefer cooking
Khichdi
on Saturdays which is also known as
Shaniwar
or the day of Lord
Shani
.

Khichdi
is otherwise the most nutritiously complete
dish, consisting of carbs from rice, proteins from lentils and vitamins from
veggies. Also it is quite a JIFFY dish.

Ingredients

Rice-3/4 cup

Moong Dal
(Bengal Gram)-1/4 cup

Onion-1 (chopped up)

Ginger-1 inch

Spinach (only leaves)-500 grams or 18oz (2 cups) coarsely
chopped

Peas--100 grams (3.5oz) (half cup)

Carrots-2 (cut into small pieces)

Tomato-1

Khada
(that is, whole and not powdered)
Garam
Masala
(Green cardamom--2, brown cardamom-1, Bay leaves-2, cinnamon
stick-1/2 inch, black pepper-6, cloves-4, cumin seeds-1/2 tea spoon)

Coriander (
Dhania
) powder-1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder (only for flavour and not to make it
hot)-1/4 teaspoon (you can add more if you like it hot)

Turmeric (
Haldi
)-1 teaspoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-1/4 teaspoon

Ghee
(clarified butter)-2 tablespoon full

Salt- 1 level teaspoon roughly or to taste.

Water-3 cups (This will give your
Khichdi
a wet
consistency. However, if you like your
khichdi
to be drier, then add
only 2 cups of water instead of 3.)

Method

Wash the rice and dal together and let it dry for 5 minutes
on an inclined plate.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, put the clarified butter and put it on
your heat source.

As it warms up, add the
Khada Garam Masala
and
Asafoetida.

Let these all crackle but NOT burn.

Add the onion and ginger.

Sauté this for 2 minutes and then add the peas and the carrots.

Stir well.

Now add the coarsely chopped spinach, turmeric, coriander
powder, red chilli powder and salt.

Add the rice,
dal
and the tomatoes.

Stir well.

Add the water and put the lid with the weight on the cooker.

After the cooker comes to full pressure, switch off the heat
source but do NOT release the pressure.

Let the pressure cooker cool down by itself.

Open the cooker and you will find your
Khichdi
ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel:

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place it on
your heat source.

When the butter warms up, add the
Khada Garam Masala
and Asafoetida (
Hing
).

Let these all crackle but NOT burn.

Add the onion and ginger.

Sauté this for 2 minutes.

Then add the peas and the carrots.

Stir well.

Then add the coarsely chopped spinach, turmeric, coriander
powder, red chilli powder and salt.

Add the rice,
dal
and the tomatoes.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Cover the pan/vessel with a well-fitting lid.

Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer). Let the
Khichdi
cook for 15-20 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes.

Your
Khichdi
should now be ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes with a pressure cooker; 20-25
minutes with a deep pan

Total time: 15 minutes with a pressure cooker; 25-30 minutes
with a deep pan

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