Rice is nice

A staple in most global cuisines, this nourishing grain lends itself to a variety of exciting recipes

BY CANDICE H

Prawn Pulao

350 gms fresh prawns

1 ½ cup washed basmati rice

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

2 green chillies, chopped fine

1 pod garlic, chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

½ cup fish/veg stock

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chilli powder (optional, for more spice)

4 cardamom pods

6-8 cloves

6-8 peppercorns

1-2 medium sticks cinnamon

1-2 medium size bay leaves

2 tbsp cooking oil

Wash, shell and de-vein prawns; coat lightly with turmeric powder and keep aside. Add oil to a deep-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and fly until peppercorns pop. Next add the onion, chillies, garlic and ginger, and fry for about two minutes. Add tomato and fry on low flame for five minutes until the tomato is soft. Add prawns and fry for a minute. Add rice and fry for two minutes, until rice is completely coated with the mix. Next, add fish/veg stock and stir well. Finally, add enough water to cover the rice by about half an inch. Stir well once, then close the saucepan and cook on a low flame till the rice is done. Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander.

Green Vegetable Rice

2 cups basmati rice, soak for ½ hr

1 bunch of coriander leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp turmeric

1-inch piece ginger

3 pods of garlic

2 green chillies

3 cardamom

1-inch piece cinnamon

3 cloves

1 onion, finely cut

2 carrots cut into thick strips

15-20 green beans, cut into large pieces

8 medium sized cauliflower florets

¼ cabbage cut into thick cubes

½ cup green peas

4 cups water

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Grind together the coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic and chillies, until they form a fine paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon and cloves. Next add onions and fry till soft. Add the ground masala paste and fry well. Add the veggies and stir fry for two minutes. Finally, add the rice and water and bring to a boil. Lower the flame to simmer and cook covered until the rice is done. Serve hot with a tomato raita

Oven cooked lamb pulao

800 gm lamb (mutton or chicken can also be used)

2 cups basmati rice

2 large onions, finely sliced

300 gm peeled and chopped tomatoes

100 gm sultanas

1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste

2 cups water

2 tbsp ghee

Grind to a powder:

3 cardamom pods

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 bay leave

1 medium stick cinnamon

Sea salt

Pinch of mace

Pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp whole coriander seeds

2 tbsp whole cumin seeds

Singapore Fried Rice

200 gms cooked rice

25 gms carrots cubed

25 gms cabbage cubed

1 tsp turmeric powder

3-4 spring onion greens finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chilly sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

Heat the oil in a wok till hot. Add carrots, cabbage and cook for two minutes. Next, add salt, pepper, chilli sauce, soy sauce and turmeric and mix well, until the vegetables are fully coated with the sauces. Add the boiled rice and mix thoroughly, finally adding the spring onion greens. Stir for another

1 tbsp turmeric

5 cloves

2-4 dried red chillies

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in water for about 2 hours. The rice must be soaked or it will not cook properly. Grind the peppercorns, whole coriander and cumin, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, red chillies, sea salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together, to form a fragrant powder. Cut the meat into roughly even cubes, coating with salt and pepper. Keep aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan with no plastic parts, heat the ghee and add onions and ginger/garlic paste and fry for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the ground minute, then take off the fire and serve hot.

Khara Pongal

1 cup moong dal

1 cup rice

3 to 3 ½ cups water

10-12 cashew nuts

1 tsp each cumin seeds and pepper powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp dessicated coconut

½ tbsp mustard seeds

2 green chopped chillies

5 curry leaves

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

Wash the moong dal and rice, and roast in the pressure cooker with the ghee for spice mix and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the lamb and cook until the meat is well coated, stirring at frequent intervals. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the water and cook on high flame until the mixture is boiling. Drain the soaked rice and add to the mixture. Stir well. Heat oven to 180 degrees. Take the mixture off the stove, cover the top with double aluminium foil and cover with lid to seal as tightly as possible. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. (Can be cooked on very low heat on your gas stove too). When done, mix gently and serve hot, garnished with chopped mint and/or pan-fried almond slivers. Cucumber raita can accompany this dish. about a minute. Add water, turmeric and salt, close the pressure cooker and cook on medium flame until three whistles. After the rice is done, heat the oil in a separate pan and fry the cashew nuts until golden brown. Keep aside. Next, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Next, add the dry coconut and pepper powder. Open the pressure cooker and add the rice and dal mixture to the pan. Stir thoroughly until the rice is fully mixed with the oil and spices. Lastly, add the cashew nuts and mix well. Serve hot, with a sprinkling of farsan or sev. (Note: this dish must be prepared and served immediately, before the mixture solidifies.)