Sada Chawal Plain Cooked 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!

SADA CHAWAL (PLAIN COOKED BASMATI RICE)

Steps:

• Pick the rice clean and wash several times. Drain thoroughly and place in a 2 1/2-quart microwave-proof dish. Add 2 1/4 cups of water and mix well.
• Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a 650- to 700-watt microwave carousel oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed and the top of the rice is covered with steamy holes. Stir twice during the cooking time.
• Cover and continue cooking at 100 percent power for 4 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, lightly fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

PLAIN BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice in several changes of water; drain and put in a bowl. Cover generously with water and let soak 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil in a heavy ovenproof pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add rice, stir, and bring back to a boil. Cover tightly (use a layer of foil between lid and pan, crinkling edges, if needed, to get a tight seal) and place in oven; bake 30 minutes. Remove and let rice stand, undisturbed, 10 minutes. Fluff up grains with a fork; serve. Rice can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

PLAIN BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Put the rice in a bowl. Cover with cold water, stirring the rice gently. Pour out the dirty water. Do this 4-5 times. Now cover well with fresh water and leave to soak for 30 minutes (longer will not hurt). Drain and leave in a sieve set over a bowl to drain some more.
• Put the drained rice in a heavy pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 2/3 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to very, very low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
• When ready to serve, remove rice with a slotted spoon, breaking up the lumps gently with the back of the spoon.

SAFFRON STEAMED BASMATI RICE (PERSIAN POLOW)

Steps:

• Dissolve the saffron threads in 4 tablespoons hot water and set aside to soak.
• Wash the basmati rice twice and soak in salted warm water for 2-3 hours.
• Drain the water.
• Pour enough water into a large pan until pan is half-full. Bring to the boil.
• Add the drained rice and 1 tablespoon salt. Continue boiling until rice is slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
• Drain rice and wash it slightly with warm water.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil into the pan and add the rice.
• Mix the remaining grapeseed oil with the saffron water and pour *half* this mixture over the rice.
• Cover pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. A golden crust (tadiq) will form on the bottom.
• Sprinkle the remaining saffron water and oil mixture over the rice.
• Reduce heat to low and cover the top of the pan with two layers of paper towels ( I used a double layer of muslin cloth).
• Cover pan firmly with the cover and cook 45 minutes WITHOUT removing lid.
• Remove pot from heat and let rest 5 minutes.
• Turn the rice out on a large serving platter with the golden crust on top.

PAKISTANI BHAGAR WALAY CHAWAL (STIR FRIED RICE) OR ZANZIBARI PUL

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pan & fry onions in it till they turn golden brown.
• Add cardamom pods (bari elaichi), cinnamon sticks (dalchini, cloves (laung), cumin seeds (zeera), 2 teaspoons salt and stir fry on medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Now add water & the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and turn the heat up on high & wait till the water starts boiling.
• Add rice & cook them uncovered on high heat for 5 minutes or till the water dries up.
• Gently mix the rice and cover the pan, closing the lid tightly making sure no steam passes by & cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until the rice is done.
• Serve with Daal, Chilli chicken, Murghi Ka Salan (Chicken Curry) or as Zanzabari Pulao's rice.