Minted Basmati Rice Pilaf Recipes

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat chicken stock in a saucepan until boiling; keep hot until ready to use.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and bay leaf in the hot oil until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir basmati rice into onion mixture until rice is coated with oil.
• Pour hot chicken stock into the rice mixture. Season with salt; stir.
• Bring rice mixture to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and discard bay leaf. Add butter and fluff the rice with a fork.

SPICED BASMATI RICE AND SWEET CORN PILAF

Steps:

• Put rice in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Swish with fingers, then pour off water. Repeat 2 or 3 times, until water runs clear. Cover again with cold water and soak 20 minutes, then drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter or ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, coriander, cumin, cloves, peppercorns and cardamom, and stir to coat. Let sizzle a bit, then add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter or ghee, the rice and the corn, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add raisins and 2 cups broth or water and bring to brisk simmer. Taste cooking liquid for salt and adjust if necessary.
• Cover with tight-fitting lid, turn heat to low and let cook 15 minutes. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes off heat. Fluff rice and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro, scallions and cashews, if desired. Serve with yogurt raita.

BASMATI RICE AND MUSTARD-SEED PILAF

Steps:

• Thinly slice shallots and in a 2-quart heavy saucepan cook in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden. Stir in mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Cook pilaf, covered, over low heat until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring, until rice is translucent at edges, 2 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

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.

MINTED RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Place mint stems, chicken broth and water in a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish or casserole with tight-fitting lid. Cook, covered, at 100 percent power in a 650- to 700-watt oven for 10 minutes. If using plastic, prick to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Strain liquid and allow liquid to cool to room temperature. Reserve.
• Place onion and oil in the 2 1/2-quart souffle dish or casserole. Cover and cook at 100 percent power for 4 minutes.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Stir in rice. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power for 1 minute 30 seconds.
• Remove from oven. Stir in reserved liquid. Re-cover and cook at 100 percent power for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the chopped mint leaves. Re-cover and cook for 8 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Stir in remaining chopped mint, salt and pepper. Serve hot.

MINTED BARLEY PILAF

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and salt; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add barley and mix to coat with oil; cook and stir until barley is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir chicken stock, water, thyme, and sage into barley mixture. Cover pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir mint into barley pilaf. Cover pot and allow flavors to blend, 5 to 10 minutes.

JASMINE RICE PILAF WITH PEAS, MINT, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Combine the rice and 6 cups of cold water in a pot. Sprinkle in the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook the rice for 20 minutes, without peaking under the lid, the steam is most precious in cooking rice. When the rice has absorbed the water it will form "craters" or holes in the top.
• Let the rice sit off the heat, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes. This allows the rice to steam, with the bottom layer as fluffy as the top.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the blanched peas, green onions, lemon juice and zest, mint, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss gently, taking care not to smash the grains of rice. Garnish with pea tendrils before serving, if using.

BASMATI-SUN-DRIED TOMATO RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.
• Add shallots; sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until soft.
• Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and stock; mix well.
• Cover; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
• Place in serving bowl; top with cheese.