Rice w/ Indian Spices

I put a few recipes together for this one. Because of the turmeric, the rice turns a festive yellow color. This is really good with the "Indian Chicken" recipe from Feb 2012.

Put the following in a large skillet over medium heat.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped medium
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger which is about an inch of ginger root(or add 1/2 tsp powdered ginger when you add the spices in a bit)

Saute until the onion is translucent. Then add the following all at once.

• 1 tsp cardamom (or 8 whole cardamom seeds)
• 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• (optional: some red pepper flakes for spiciness)
• 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 10 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (if you didn't chop up the fresh ginger previously)
• 1 bay leaf  
• 3-4 whole Indian green chile pods (small and very hot)

Stir together and then add

• 2 cups basmati rice

Fry the rice in the oil mixture stirring and turning. The rice will lose its white and become almost clear. Some will get a little brown. Stir enough to not let it get too brown.

Add the following and stir:

• 1/2 cup white wine (the drinking kind)
• (option: add a handful or raisins, craisins or some coarsely chopped apricots at this point for some sweetness.)

Then add the liquid a cup at a time. Stir and bring it to a simmer. When the rice absorbs most of the liquid, add another cup. At the end, you may need a bit more or less to cook it to the right softness for you. Taste the rice to see when its soft all the way through. (Hint: It goes a little better if you microwave the liquid so it is warm already when it is added to the pan. You have to warm it all up at the start as there is no time while working.) This process is the similar to that used with some Spanish Rice recipes and Risotto.

• 4 cups water or chicken broth or vegetable broth

 When the rice is soft, remove from heat and add the following.

• Salt to taste
• Ground pepper

Serve from the pan or move it to a suitable bowl and serve immediately.

Alternative:

If you want, you can take the rice off when it gets to where it isn't crunch in the middle. Then put it all in a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. This may work better for timing your meal if you have other things to prepare. You can also fill the casserole dish, cover with foil and keep in the refrigerator. If it starts cold, you are going to need to bake it at least an hour at 350 degrees F. Serve directly from the dish.