Golden Basmati Rice Food

SIMPLE BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• This is the most important part: Wash the rice! Place the rice in a large bowl and fill with fresh, room temperature water. Swirl your hand through the water and the rice; the water will go cloudy. That's all the starch that we're trying to remove in order to have individual grains of rice, not the sticky kind that's popular in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. (According to traditional Indian wisdom, this also makes the rice easier to digest because so much of the starch has been removed). Once you've swirled your hand around for a minute or so, pour off the water, taking care not to lose any rice. Repeat this washing process until the water runs clear. Usually, this takes 3 or 4 changes of water.
• Fill up the bowl 1 more time and let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
• At the end of 30 minutes, drain the rice. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 3/4 cups water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
• Add the rice, stir, and wait until the water comes back to a full boil. When it does, turn the heat down as low as it can go, and then cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
• At the end of 15 minutes, cut the heat. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; you should see that every grain of rice has grown a little longer and is separate from its brothers and sisters. Well done!

BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Cook the butter and onions over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and toss until all of the grains are coated with the butter. Add the water and salt, cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the scallions and parsley, fluff with a fork, and serve.

GOLDEN BASMATI RICE AND PEAS IN RICE COOKER

Steps:

• Put rice, salt and tumeric into rice cooker stir until mixed well.
• Add water and butter.
• Push cook on rice cooker.
• Add frozen peas to hot rice a few minutes before serving.
• Garnish with cilantro.

BASMATI RICE WITH MUSTARD SEEDS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a 3-quart heavy saucepan stir together all ingredients except scallion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and stir in scallion.

CINNAMON BASMATI RICE WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion, cloves, and cinnamon; cook until onion becomes translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
• Place rice in sieve, and rinse under cold running water. Add rice to saucepan, and stir so grains are coated in butter mixture.
• Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, raisins, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all water has been absorbed and rice has cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

CRISPY GOLDEN TROUT ON FRAGRANT BASMATI RICE W/CHILE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To prepare vinaigrette:> Combine cilantro, green onions, ginger, shallots, garlic, sesame seeds, chile paste, honey, vinegar, soy sauce and oil in a medium bowl; whisk to mix well. Set aside. Vinaigrette can be prepared ahead to enhance flavors; whisk before serving. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups.).
• To prepare trout and rice: Stir together flour, cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Dip trout in flour mixture, coating lightly but completely.
• Heat about 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil is hot, add trout, skin side down, and fry about 2 minutes. Turn and fry about 2 minutes more, until cooked through.
• While fish is cooking, in a second skillet, combine rice, basil, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper to taste and butter; cook and stir until hot, about 5 minutes. Mound the rice mixture in the center of 2 serving plates, creating as much height as possible. Arrange trout on top of rice. Ladle vinaigrette around rice; garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any remaining vinaigrette for later use.

HENRY MEER'S BASMATI RICE WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in cold running water and drain.
• Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Add the raisins and cook until plump, about 3 minutes. Drain and reserve the raisins.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the butter until foamy. Add the shallots and bay leaf and saute over medium heat until translucent. Add the rice and raisins to the shallots and stir gently.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of water, cover and bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Stir and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until all of the water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 mintues.