Tuesday 23 April 2013

Rice with indian spices



The other day we were having a barbecue - grilled chicken - and my husband asked me if I could make one of my rice dishes to go with it. In the past, I have been making all kinds of versions of rice with spices and/or herbs, so this time I decided to write down the things I threw in for the blog. When we have a barbecue we tend to keep things rather simple. I'm not really keen on heavy sauces with grilled meat or too many side dishes. I'm fine with a simple salad, a couscous salad or rice. Sometimes I just grab the tamari sauce for the rice, but I like using Indian spices to turn a simple meal into something a bit more special. As with all other recipes on the blog, this one is not holy. You can experiment with the spices you like to find your own version if this one doesn't appeal to your taste buds. If you want the rice saltier then sprinkle some Maldon sea salt on top. I recommend removing the cloves and peppercorns before serving.

RICE WITH INDIAN SPICES

INGREDIENTS

  • 1½ cup (300 g) basmati rice
  • 3 cups (750 ml) boiled water
  • 1 organic vegetable stock cube
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or ghee)
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 3 whole cloves
  • pinch of chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

METHOD

  1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water. Let the rice sit in the sieve until needed
  2. Pour the boiled water needed (I boil it in a kettle) into a large glass jug and let the vegetable stock cube dissolve in it while you prepare the spices
  3. Heat the oil in a saucepan (make sure the saucepan is big enough for cooking the rice) on medium heat and add all the spices, except the turmeric. Gently fry the spices until the seeds start to pop. As you are only using two teaspoons of oil, you don't have to move the spices around in the saucepan. Just make sure all the spices and oil are in one place
  4. As soon as the seeds start to pop, add the boiled water with the dissolved vegetable stock cube, the rice and turmeric and stir gently
  5. Increase the heat and keep it on the highest setting until the water starts boiling, then reduce it to the lowest and cook the rice for about 12-15 minutes. Use a lid but let it tilt slightly to allow the steam to escape
  6. Before serving the rice it is advisable to remove the cloves and maybe also the peppercorns, especially if you have children at the table

Pin It button on image hover