Kavita Singhs Plain Rice Pulao Food

RICE PULAO

Steps:

• Wash rice, rinse and set aside to drain.
• In a large saucepan saute onion in the oil until soft.
• Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook for two minutes.
• Add the salt and all the powdered spices and mix well.
• Add the rice and mix until the rice is well coated by the spices.
• Add the remaining ingredients including the boiling water.
• Cover the pan with a sheet of foil and its lid. Try to get a good seal.
• Allow to simmer slowly for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid to peek.
• After 15 minutes,turn off the heat, remove the lid, fork through the rice to make it fluffy and cover again for 5 minutes.
• Serve with curry or enjoy on its own!

KAVITA SINGH'S PLAIN RICE PULAO

Steps:

• Clean the rice thoroughly. Soak for at least 1/2 hour in 2 cups of the water.
• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the ginger and onions and fry on medium heat for a few minutes - just until it begins to brown.
• Slightly crush the cumin seed, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and red chili. Don't pulverize, just crush enough to release flavor. Add the crushed spices to the onions. Fry for a few more minutes.
• Carefully pour the water off of the rice and into the cooking pan (the rice will be added later). Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan. Bring this water/onion/spice mixture to a boil.
• Add the rice and salt to the boiling pot. Stir gently.
• Cover with a tight lid and allow the rice to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve with curry - Thermomix Yogurt Chicken is excellent, or Kavita Singh's Tardka Daal or yogurt. I've posted the recipes for the chicken and daal on Food.com.

AFGHANI (KABLI) PULAO

Steps:

• Soak the rice in cool water and rinse a few times till the water runs clear.
• Add 1 whole onion skin removed and cut in half to pressure cooker, add 1 whole garlic head most layers of skin removed, add cinnamon stick, 4 cardamom pods lightly crushes in mortal and pestle, add 4 cloves, coriander seeds, 1 tsp black pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, salt and sugar. Seal lid on pressure cooker and turn heat to high. Cook till pressure cooker whistles once then turn heat to medium. Wait for 2 more whistles then turn off the heat.
• While broth is cooking chop the other onion. Julienne the carrots. Rinse the rice a few more times.
• Once pressure has released open the pressure cooker and strain the broth into a bowl and set aside. Clean out the pressure cooker then add 1 tablespoon canola oil And sauté the chopped onion in it till carmelized. Add the carrots and sautéed till soft. Add the raisins, almonds and the strained rice. Add the remaining teaspoon of cumin seeds and black pepper. Add the remaining 1 clove and 1 cardamom crushed to a powder. Mix all together in the pressure cooker then add the broth. If the rice is soft to taste at this point then only add enough water to just cover the rice, if the rice is still hard the Add enough water to go 1 centimetre above the rice. Turn on high. Seal the pressure cooker then wait for the first whistle. Once it whistles turn the heat down to medium and cook 5 minutes then remove from heat. Wait 7 minutes then release the pressure. Remove rice from pot to stop from over cooking.

PULAO

Steps:

• Cook and stir rice and onion in ghee until rice is yellow and onion is tender.
• Stir in raisins, bouillon, curry powder and salt.
• Pour into ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Stir in water.
• Cover and cook in 350 degree oven until liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir in almonds.