known as pyaz wali basmati chaaval, this rice dish is lovely when just plain boiled or steamed rice just isn't enough
rice can be such a hit and miss affair for some people, over cooking to a stodge or under cooking resulting in chewy rice on the plate. Or buying boil in the bag or worse still spending wasted money on a specialised rice cooker when a saucepan with a tight fitting lid will do the job just as well
I personally love basmati rice, but any long grained rice will do. Uncle Ben's rice is brilliant as it is partially cooked during its process (hence the difference in colour to regular brands), but it is expensive. This method will work just as well for any type of long grain rice
basically you are cooking the rice in a home made pressure cooker. Cooking your rice this way and you will never have stodgy, over cooked or burnt rice again, as it is cooked OFF the heat! Saving you energy and freeing up the stove
I have even made this rice following steps 1 - 3 and then pouring into a thermos flask! Meaning I had hot cooked rice ready for my lunch or dinner when out tramping in the NZ bush :-)
rice - basmati
1
cup
butter
25
gm
onion - small
1/2
pc
place the rice in a sieve and rinse under running water until water runs clear. Thuis removes any excess starch or talc.
place the butter in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat, add the finely chopped onion and cook gemntly until onion has softened
add the washed rice and enough water to cover by 2 cm. What is 2cm? Place your forefinger in and the water level should reach the first joint while the fingertip should touch the surface of the rice, easy!
bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 2 minutes
stir, cover with a tight fitting lid, remove from the heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes
remove lid, quickly stir and replace lid
allow to sit for another 10 minutes
remove lid and fluff with a fork. The rice should be perfectly cooked and all the water absorbed
chef notes
the tricks, or the important points to note are
to ensure a tight fitting lid, so as the heat is retained
leave the rice covered, remember it is off the heat so it cant come to any harm
when removing the lid to stir, do it quickly. Replace the lid as quickly as possible
when cooking the onion, a little chopped garlic, saffron or tumeric may be added
once cooked, some chopped chervil, coriander or parsley may be stirred through
