Admiral_Snackbar
Veni, vidi, Lionel Richie
I am a big fan of Indian cuisine and related curries, but of course, many people dislike it. I happen to enjoy cooking it, and was going to post a few favorite recipes. Again, mileage varies with this sort of cooking.
I thought I'd start off with something simple: Spiced Basmati Rice:
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This is a relatively quick basmati rice dish that goes well with any type of curry. The other style I make uses chicken broth, but I think it takes away from the dish sometimes, especially if you dont want any chicken flavor in a goat or lamb curry dish.
I usually make this up and divide it for use with Indian lunch-to-go packets from World Market (they do make a microwaveable rice but its very bland). It makes 3-4 standard servings of about 1 cup each.
Things you will need from an Indian or Ethnic Grocer:
Green Cardamom Pods These add a lot of flavor and shouldnt be ignored. You do want to remove them before eating as they are terribly bitter if you bite into them. Sometimes your curry powder will have ground cardamom in it.
Curry Powder/Paste I use a premixed powder from Penzeys, but any standard powder will work; you want something flavorful but not so spicy it kills your mouth (rice soaks up pepper too well). Some standard supermarkets sell this in their spices section, so if you find one that already has cardamom in it, youre ready to go.
Garam Masala This is a general spice garnish for many Indian dishes. I use a Penzeys variety, but you can also get this from a generic Indian grocer. One warning, any spices named Vindaloo are extremely hot, and some varieties of garam masala are of a vindaloo variety.
Ingredients:
2 2½ cups of basmati rice
Curry Paste/Powder 1 tbsp.
Yellow Onion 1 medium, chopped
Green cardamom pods 5 count
Black Peppercorns 4 count
Garlic Clove 1 or 2 (chopped)
Cinnamon about 1 stick
Whole Cloves 2-3 count
Bay Leaf 1 medium sized leaf
Cumin Seeds ½ tbsp. (if you prefer less cumin--it can be overpowering--cut this in half)
Turmeric Powder ½ tbsp.
Vegetable Oil 2 tbsp.
Salt 1 tsp. (or to taste)
Garam masala ½ to 1 tsp.
Preparation method:
I thought I'd start off with something simple: Spiced Basmati Rice:
________________________________________________________________
This is a relatively quick basmati rice dish that goes well with any type of curry. The other style I make uses chicken broth, but I think it takes away from the dish sometimes, especially if you dont want any chicken flavor in a goat or lamb curry dish.
I usually make this up and divide it for use with Indian lunch-to-go packets from World Market (they do make a microwaveable rice but its very bland). It makes 3-4 standard servings of about 1 cup each.
Things you will need from an Indian or Ethnic Grocer:
Green Cardamom Pods These add a lot of flavor and shouldnt be ignored. You do want to remove them before eating as they are terribly bitter if you bite into them. Sometimes your curry powder will have ground cardamom in it.
Curry Powder/Paste I use a premixed powder from Penzeys, but any standard powder will work; you want something flavorful but not so spicy it kills your mouth (rice soaks up pepper too well). Some standard supermarkets sell this in their spices section, so if you find one that already has cardamom in it, youre ready to go.
Garam Masala This is a general spice garnish for many Indian dishes. I use a Penzeys variety, but you can also get this from a generic Indian grocer. One warning, any spices named Vindaloo are extremely hot, and some varieties of garam masala are of a vindaloo variety.
Ingredients:
2 2½ cups of basmati rice
Curry Paste/Powder 1 tbsp.
Yellow Onion 1 medium, chopped
Green cardamom pods 5 count
Black Peppercorns 4 count
Garlic Clove 1 or 2 (chopped)
Cinnamon about 1 stick
Whole Cloves 2-3 count
Bay Leaf 1 medium sized leaf
Cumin Seeds ½ tbsp. (if you prefer less cumin--it can be overpowering--cut this in half)
Turmeric Powder ½ tbsp.
Vegetable Oil 2 tbsp.
Salt 1 tsp. (or to taste)
Garam masala ½ to 1 tsp.
Preparation method:
- Wash and soak the rice for at least 20 minutes, stirring the grains with a fork (a sieve can also be used to wash them initially; you want the water to be somewhat starch-free, about 2-3 rinses. If the rice soaks for more than 2 hours, it will sometimes be too watery after cooking. Drain the rice after soaking, and set the water aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan.
- Fry the cumin seeds, bay leaf, garlic, cloves and onion in the oil for about 5-10 minutes until the onion is golden brown.
- Add the rice and curry paste/powder, mixing it in with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add about 1 pint of the retained rice soaking water. Mix in the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, pepercorns and turmeric. The turmeric will turn the rice a yellowish color, so ensure it is evenly mixed so the rice absorbs the color.
- Add another ½ pint of the soaking water, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the rice is completed, you can stir in the garam masala and serve. Remove the larger spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaf) beforehand if needed.
- The rice will keep in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. Do not freeze.
