Cardamom Rice Pilaf Food

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• To wash or not to wash rice? In the case of basmati, no matter what my preparation is, I always wash it. It cleans out any small particles and it also rids the rice of any starch on the grain. This starch makes the rice gummier when cooked.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, add the rice and 4 cups of cold water. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour.
• In a small bowl, add the cumin seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out onto a baking sheet and put it in the center of the oven to lightly toast the spices and awaken the flavors, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the spices to cool.
• Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the butter and the onion. Season with salt and cook until the onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice but reserve the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear the rice crackling, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved soaking water. Season with a generous portion of salt and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook the rice over medium-low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Take a fork (so as not to damage the rice) and flake a few grains off to taste for doneness. It may need to be cooked another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to "rest" (as you would a roast beef) for 10 minutes before "forking" it gently into a serving bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, if desired, and serve.

INDIAN STYLE BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and stir into the pot. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Add salt and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.

SAFFRON-CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Cool.
• Melt remaining 2 teaspoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, raisins, sugar, salt, saffron and cardamom. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand covered 10 minutes. Stir in pine nuts.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan cook the onion with the turmeric and the cardamom in 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the rice and cook it, stirring, until it is coated with the butter. Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, covered, and simmer the mixture for 17 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in the pistachios, the raisins, the scallion greens, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

GOLDEN SAFFRON AND CARDAMOM SPICED CHICKEN & RICE PILAU

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, lemon, cinnamon, small pinch of garam masala, and grated ginger for about 1 hour. Soak the saffron threads in the chicken stock.
• Shake the excess marinade off the chicken. In a large Dutch oven or Le Creuset over medium-high heat, fry the meat with a spoonful or so of oil (do this in batches so that the chicken becomes nicely golden in color). Remove chicken and browned bits to a plate, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
• In the same pan, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the rice, stirring to coat until glossy. Pour in the saffron and chicken stock, add the sultanas, cardamom pods, rose water, lemon juice and zest and bring the pan to the boil, then clamp on the lid and turn the heat down to very low. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, by which time the rice should have absorbed the liquid and be cooked through.
• Add the chicken and the browned bits to the rice, stirring gently to combine.
• Toast the almonds by shaking them in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until they color and begin to give off their fragrance, then add to the pilaf along with the chopped parsley. Pile everything onto a plate and add a fabulously green sprinkling of slivered or roughly chopped pistachios.

KASHMIRI CHICKEN, CARDAMOM AND SAFFRON PILAU: SPICED INDIAN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the basmati rice several times in cold water and drain in a colander - leave to dry.
• Heat half of the oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pan and add half of the onion (1 onion), the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds. Fry them over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces and brown them - turning them regularly to achieve a good colour all over.
• Add the saffron, boiling water, cardamom pods, mint, garam masala and cinnamon stick. Bring it all to the boil and then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
• Transfer all the contents to a bowl and rinse out the pan.
• Add the remaining oil and onion to the pan and fry until the onion is lightly coloured. Add the rice and stir it well, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is opaque.
• Add the chicken mixture, tomatoes and sultanas - then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently, then shake the pan to level the ingredients.
• Add sufficient boiling water to come about 3/4" above the rice mixture. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook gently over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has all been absorbed.
• Discard the cinnamon stick and transfer to a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve immediately.

CHALLAW (CARDAMOM AND CUMIN BASMATI RICE)

Steps:

• In a large pot with a lid, bring 8 1/2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, drain the rice in a large fine-mesh sieve or colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rice and 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or fine salt) to the boiling water. Boil uncovered, until the grains seem to have doubled in length, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or kettle, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil and keep at a simmer. Place the cardamom pods on a cutting board and lightly crack them with the side of a large knife.
• Drain the parboiled rice in the sieve or colander and return the rice to the pot. Add the cracked cardamom pods and any seeds that may have popped out, the cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or fine salt). Mix gently to combine, taking care to not break the rice grains. Drizzle with the oil and the just-boiled water from the saucepan, and stir gently to coat the rice.
• Cover the pot and cook over high heat until steam escapes from beneath the lid, 3 to 6 minutes. This is a critical step in preparing the rice to avoid overcooking it. Once you see the steam, reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and all the water is gone, another 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

SPICED VEGETABLE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In boiling water, cook carrots for 4 mins, tipping in onions for the last min of cooking. Drain and mix in a roasting tin with 4 tsp oil, the cumin and seasoning. Roast for 30 mins, while you cook the rice.
• Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a large pan. Add cardamom and cinnamon for 30 secs, then add rice and toast for 1 min. Pour over stock and 100ml water, then simmer, covered, for 25-30 mins, until rice is tender and the water absorbed. Remove cinnamon and cardamom.
• Tip in lentils and fork through before topping with spinach. Put lid back on and cook over a low heat, stirring once, until spinach has wilted and lentils heated through. Fork through again before tipping the cumin roasted veg onto the top and sprinkling with almonds, if using.