Indian Pilaf Recipes

INDIAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring water and chicken broth to a boil.
• Combine rice, curry powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, paprika, and cloves in a bowl; stir to mix. Add spiced rice and onion to the boiling broth. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

INDIAN CURRIED BARLEY PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium-high heat. Add the onion and barley; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the allspice, turmeric, curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer.
• Cover skillet with lid, and reduce heat to low; simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Fluff the pilaf with a fork, and gently stir in the slivered almonds and raisins.

INDIAN PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium pot, combine rice, stock, bay leaf, curry powder and cumin. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and cook for 17 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
• In nonstick pan, heat the olive oil until it is very hot, reduce heat to medium-high and saute the onions until they begin to soften. Add the peppers, and saute until the onions are golden and the peppers are soft. Stir in the currants, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix with rice.
• Combine the rice mixture with the turkey, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the almonds, and serve. (Pilaf may be refrigerated before adding the almonds. To serve, stir in almonds and reheat in microwave.)

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH INDIAN SPICES AND RAITA

Steps:

• Wash rice by rinsing in cold water. Then soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain.
• In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is tender. Add garlic, and saute for about a minute. Add cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Saute for another minute and add the rice. Saute until rice is translucent and begins to brown. Add water, bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 10 minutes. Most of the water will evaporate and steam holes will show through rice.
• Add peas, but do not stir. Cover tightly and let simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
• Prepare the raita: In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, mint, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper.
• Uncover the pilaf, season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick. Turn pilaf out onto a serving platter and pour half of the raita over rice. Pass remaining raita.

INDIAN-STYLE PILAF

Steps:

• If desired, wash rice and let stand in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain.
• Saute onion in butter in a pot until golden. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric and bay leaves and saute two minutes. Add rice and saute two minutes, stirring to color all grains. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over very low heat 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to stand, covered and undisturbed, until needed. Fluff before serving. (The whole spices are not meant to be eaten.)

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• To wash or not to wash rice? In the case of basmati, no matter what my preparation is, I always wash it. It cleans out any small particles and it also rids the rice of any starch on the grain. This starch makes the rice gummier when cooked.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, add the rice and 4 cups of cold water. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour.
• In a small bowl, add the cumin seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out onto a baking sheet and put it in the center of the oven to lightly toast the spices and awaken the flavors, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the spices to cool.
• Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the butter and the onion. Season with salt and cook until the onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice but reserve the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear the rice crackling, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved soaking water. Season with a generous portion of salt and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook the rice over medium-low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Take a fork (so as not to damage the rice) and flake a few grains off to taste for doneness. It may need to be cooked another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to "rest" (as you would a roast beef) for 10 minutes before "forking" it gently into a serving bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, if desired, and serve.

INDIAN LENTIL PILAF

Steps:

• Bring lentils and 4 cups water to a boil in large pot or Dutch oven.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until lentils are firm-tender.
• Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water, and transfer lentils to a bowl.
• Wipe out the pot and heat the oil over medium high. Sauté the onion in the oil 4 minutes, or until just golden.
• Add carrots and rice and cook 3 minutes, or until rice is toasted and fragrant, stirring constantly.
• Add garlic, ginger and garam masala and cook 1 minute more.
• Stir in tomatoes, broth, reserved lentil water and lentils and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
• Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover, let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork, then spoon pilaf into shallow bowls, and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY PILAF

Steps:

• Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat; add in chicken then brown until cooked through; remove to plate.
• Add in the onions and 1 teaspoon sugar; saute stirring with wooden spoon for about 15-20 minutes until browned (the onions must be browned!) adding in garlic the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.
• Add in curry powder and turmeric; stir for 1-2 minutes to release flavours.
• Add in basmati rice and stir with wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes.
• Slowly add in the chicken broth and water (for firmer rice use a little less water or broth) stirring with a wooden spoon to combine.
• Return the chicken back to the pot along with the raisins, frozen peas and almonds; stir and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• At this point adjust the curry powder to taste.
• Cover with tight-fitting lid and simmer on top of stove over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all broth is absorbed.
• Season with salt and lots black pepper.