Creamy Rice And Split Mung Beans With Cumin Seeds Recipes

MUNG BEANS AND RICE (MASHKITCHIRI)

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight or cook for 2 minutes in plenty of water and allow to sit for one hour; drain.
• Saute onions and carrots in hot oil until onion begins to turn golden.
• Add potato and cook 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, cumin seed, hot and sweet paprika and chicken stock. Bring to boil and add the drained beans. Cover, leaving the lid slightly askew to let steam escape. Simmer until beans are soft, 20 to 30 minutes, and most of liquid has been absorbed.
• Meanwhile, bring the rice and water to a boil; reduce heat, cover and cook 17 minutes, until rice is tender and water absorbed. Stir rice into bean mixture; add salt.
• Garnish with cilantro and hot or sweet paprika.

PILAF-STYLE RICE AND YELLOW MUNG BEANS WITH GINGER

Steps:

• 1. Place the rice and dal in a pressure cooker along with 5 cups water, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and salt. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to l5 minutes. Carefully open the lid and stir the rice and dal. If the rice and dal are not soft, add the remaining 1/2 cup water and cook over low heat another 5 to 7 minutes. (The rice grains should be separate don't stir to make it creamy.) Transfer to a serving dish.2. Heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, black pepper, and cardamom seeds and stir a few seconds, then add to the khichadi and mix lightly, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.VARIATION: With the same cooking time, this recipe can also be made by replacing the yellow mung beans with anyone or a mixture of red lentils (dhulli masoor dal), split pigeon peas (toor dal), and yellow split chickpeas (channa dal).From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KHARA HUGGI OR PONGAL

Steps:

• Wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water, generously covered, for at least 30 minutes. (This is optional but results in softer, more evenly cooked rice.) Drain thoroughly using a fine-mesh sieve.
• In a soup pot, dry-roast and stir the lentils continuously over medium heat until they are golden brown and have a nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. (This step is optional but reduces the stickiness of the dal.) Thoroughly wash the lentils using a fine mesh colander. Return them to the pot, together with the rice, and add 3 1⁄2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the top. Add the turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons of the ghee, and the ginger to the boiling mixture.
• While the rice and lentils are cooking, put 1⁄2 teaspoon of the ghee in a tempering pot or small pan over medium heat. Add the cashews, stirring them until they are fragrant and turn golden brown, a few minutes. Set the cashews aside to cool in a bowl lined with a paper towel. If using cumin seeds and peppercorns, roughly crush them in a mortar with a pestle. Set aside.
• When the rice and lentil mixture is cooked, mix in the salt, coconut, and fried cashews, reserving some cashews for garnish.
• Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in the tempering pot or small pan over medium heat. When melted, add the crushed black peppercorns and cumin seeds and the asafetida. Fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
• Immediately pour the spiced ghee over the rice. To get all of the spiced ghee out of the pot, put a spoonful of the rice mixture into the pot, stir, and spoon it back into the rest of the dish. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Garnish with the reserved cashews. Serve hot.

STICKY RICE WITH HOMINY, MUNG BEAN, AND CRISPY SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand for at least 2 hours (or even overnight).
• Dump the rice into a colander and rinse under cold running water. Shake the colander to expel extra water and then return the rice to the bowl. Add the hominy, breaking it up into individual kernels. Toss the rice and hominy with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. If you are concerned about cleanup and/or the rice falling through the holes of the steamer tray, line the tray with a piece of parchment paper or banana leaf, leaving a few holes uncovered for heat circulation. Pour the rice and hominy into the tray, keeping the mixture 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.
• Place the tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the rice for 20 minutes, or until the rice is shiny, tender, and slightly chewy; the hominy is already cooked. To ensure even cooking, give the rice a big stir with chopsticks or a spatula 2 or 3 times during steaming. Take care when lifting the lid that you don't allow any condensation to drip onto the rice and hominy and that you are not burned by the steam. At the end of each stirring, gather the grains back into a mound in the center, leaving a 1-inch border between the rice and the edge of the steamer tray. When the rice is done, lower the heat to keep it hot.
• While the rice and hominy steam, put the sesame seeds, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the 1 tablespoon sugar in a mortar and crush with a pestle to a fine, sandy texture. (Or, use an electric mini-chopper and process for 10 seconds.) Set aside.
• To serve, turn off the steamer, fluff the rice and hominy, and transfer to a platter, spreading it out into a 1-inch-thick layer. Sprinkle the mung bean on top and then follow with the sesame mixture and finish with the shallot. Serve with a small bowl of sugar for anyone who wants a little extra sweetness.