Saudi Carrot Basmati Rice Zainabs Moms Food

AL KABSA - TRADITIONAL SAUDI RICE AND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together the saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, and lime powder in a small bowl, and set the spice mix aside.
• Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and brown them over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Mix in the tomato puree.
• Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juice, the grated carrots, whole cloves, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and the Kabsa spice mix. Cook for about 3 minutes; pour in the water, and add the chicken bouillon cube.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.
• Gently stir in the rice. Cover the pot and simmer until rice is tender and almost dry, about 25 minutes; add the raisins and a little more hot water, if necessary. Cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice grains are separate.
• Transfer the rice to a large serving platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle the toasted slivered almonds over the dish.

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:

• Rinse rice in several changes of cold water until water runs clear. Drain well in a fine-mesh sieve. Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, then add rice and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered and undisturbed, 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork.

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Soak basmati rice in water to cover for 30 minutes (prepare the other ingredients during this time). Drain.
• In a large, heavy saucepan melt butter over medium high heat and add rice. Cook, stirring, until grains are coated with butter, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste (I use about 3/4 teaspoon). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Do not lift lid or stir rice during this time. Remove from heat, remove lid and place a dish towel over the pan. Return lid and let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet or a wide saucepan and add shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes for shallots, 4 to 5 minutes for onion. Add carrots, cauliflower, dill or parsley, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, currants or raisins, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir together. Add remaining 3/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add peas, turn up heat and cook another 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and fragrant, and most of the water has evaporated. If there is more than a tablespoon of water in the pan, drain.
• Transfer rice to a large bowl or a large buttered or oiled baking dish. Stir toasted pine nuts and the vegetable and spice mixture into the rice. Add wild rice and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning. If not serving right away, cover baking dish with foil. Reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes.

BASMATI RICE - INDIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes. DO NOT skip this step, its very important.
• 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.
• Remove the pods, cloves, cinnamon stick before serving.

SAUDI CARROT BASMATI RICE (ZAINAB'S MOM'S)

Steps:

• Also required: 2 paper towels cut in half.
• Wash rice in a sieve until water runs clear.
• Soak rice for at least 15 minutes in a pot of cold water.
• Toast pine nuts in a small dry frying pan until browned a bit. Be careful not to burn them.
• Drain rice and add all ingredients to a large bottomed pot.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 13-18 minutes, still covered.
• Uncover and fuff with a fork leaving it on the same burner.
• Place 3 of the paper towel pieces around the rim of the pot and cover tightly again.
• Use the forth one for any mess or save for later.
• Leave to sit for 20 minutes with paper towels. (This makes for fluffier rice).
• Fluff again and serve.

BASMATI RICE WITH CARROTS, RAISINS AND SPICES (KABLI)

Steps:

• Rinse rice under running water until water is clear.
• In large bowl, cover rice with water; soak for 1 hour, drain.
• Add salt to large pot of boiling water; add rice.
• Cover and simmer until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) cooking liquid; set liquid aside.
• Pour rice into large Dutch oven.
• In skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add sugar; stir until dissolved.
• Add reserved cooking liquid; bring to boil.
• Slowly pour over rice, stirring to coat.
• Stir in cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and pepper.
• Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until water is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200°F (100°C); bake, covered, for 1 hour.
• Spoon into serving dish, mounding attractively.
• Meanwhile, peel and cut carrots into very thin strips or grate coarsely.
• In skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat; saute carrots and raisins until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon over rice.

CURRIED AND HERBED BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Heat medium 3-quart pot over medium-high heat with oil. Add minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Don't burn garlic. Lightly brown.
• Add rice. Constantly toss and stir to coat rice with garlic and oil and lightly toast rice.
• Add chicken stock, curry powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover on simmer til rice has absorbed liquid (about 20 minutes).
• During last 5 minutes of cooking rice, remove lid, add butter, rosemary and parsley. Stir. Recover.
• If liquid is absorbed, reduce heat to low and keep warm. If rice appears dry, add small amount of olive oil. I recommend doing this anyway, as the Extra Virgin Olive Oil adds wonderful flavor.
• Just before serving, add lemon zest to pot and toss to combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

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.

EASY KABLI -- SPICED BASMATI RICE WITH CARROTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Set raisins to soak in water for 15-30 minutes. If time allows, drain this water off and use it to cook the rice. Otherwise, discard soaking water. This will make the raisins plump and juicy in the dish.
• Bring water to boil in a small to medium pot. Add margarine, rice, and the five dry spices to the water. Stir. Cover. Reduce heat to very low. Simmer rice for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit another 5 minutes. These cooking times are given by my brand of rice. Adjust if needed for your brand.
• While rice is cooking, peel carrots, then shred, or shave into short strips with a vegetable peeler. Feed carrot stubs to hungry kids, if applicable.
• When cooked rice is standing by, heat oil in a small skillet on medium high heat. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add carrot shavings and drained, soaked raisins to the skillet. Saute and stir until carrots wilt a bit. Remove from heat.
• Fluff rice with a spoon or fork and garnish with carrot and raisin mixture. Enjoy!