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Here is a nice recipe for Vegetarian Basmati Rice
Easy Vegetarian Rice Pilaf
You know, you go to a nice restaurant and order an entree with a rice option, and the rice you get in most cases is downright boring! I usually opt for a salad or potatoes instead because I grew up eating beautifully spiced aromatic flavourful rice and the typical restaurant rice is simply unappealing, unless of course it’s Italian risotto which I absolutely love!
At home I usually make rice about once a week. I always keep a variety of rice in my pantry – white and brown basmati, wild rice, and arborio or pearl rice for making risotto. There is so much you can do with rice, from an Indian pilaf to Chinese fried rice, Italian paella or Italian risotto, and the list goes on…
This Indian rice dish can be served as an entree accompanied with yoghurt for an entirely Indian vegetarian dish. It also works beautifully with any type of fish or chicken entree. The beauty of this rice dish is that you can serve it with non-Indian meat/seafood dishes to add a bit of “exotic” appeal, flavour and aroma to your menu!
Servings – 4
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Cooking Time – 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup white basmati rice
1 3/4 cups water
2Tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
sliced white or brown mushrooms (1 to 2 cups depending on personal preference)
1tsp whole cumin or 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 stick cinnamon (approx. 2 inches long) OR 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. The cinnamon stick is removed prior to serving.
2 tsp salt
You need a cooking pot with a lid – either a wok or large sauce pan. Non-stick works best to avoid rice sticking to the bottom.
– Rinse the rice in a bowl and let sit in water for about 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
– Heat oil on medium
– If using whole cumin and cinnamon stick, add them now so they get slightly toasted and infused into the hot oil, about 2 minutes. If using ground cumin and cinnamon, they can be added with the rest of the spices later.
– Add onion to heated oil (either thinly sliced lengthwise or chopped). Cook for about 3 minutes on med-high heat stirring regularly.
– Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 2-3 minutes
– Add peas and allow everything to cook together for a couple of minutes
– Now add the rice and stir everything around for a minute or so.
– Add the measured water.
– Add spices (salt, ground cumin and cinnamon)
– Bring to a boil
Once it’s boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer or medium-low. Cook covered for 16-18 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let stand for 3-5 minutes. When you remove the lid, the rice should be kind of pointing up and the vegetables will be sitting on top in a circular pattern. Fluff with a fork.
Serve as an entree with yoghurt, lentils or as an accompaniment with fish or poultry.
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5 Myths About Indian Cooking.
Myth #1: Indian Cooking Is Very Time Consuming.
It doesn’t have to be! There are ways to simplify it. It doesn’t have to take any more time than making spaghetti/pasta sauce. A well written and easy-to-follow recipe can reduce preparation time significantly.
Myth #2: All Indian Food Is Curry Based
“Curry powder” is a blend of spices that is sometimes used in Indian cooking. However, it’s composition can vary a great deal depending on the brand you buy. I prefer to use “garam masala” which is a milder and more refined version of curry powder. It is also made up of a number of ground spices such as cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamon, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg. Not all Indian dishes use curry as defined above and, therefore, are not curry based
Myth #3: It Is Too Spicy
Indian food doesn’t have to be spicy! The dish will only be as spicy as you want to make it
Use of hot “chili powder” or “cayenne” is what determines the level of spice or “heat”. It is up to you how much of this spice to use. You can simply substitute mild paprika which will give the nice red colour but without the heat.
Myth #4: It Requires Too Many Ingredients
The “too many ingredients” generally refers to the spices. A lot of Indian recipes require far too many individual spices. The number of ingredients can be greatly reduced by keeping these 4 spices on hand (whole cumin, turmeric powder, cayenne, garam masala)
Myth #5: Recipes Are Way Too Complicated
It is true that some Indian recipes are very hard to follow. The long list of unfamiliar spices and complicated preparation method can be overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be! Our recipes are written with the novice in mind and not for someone that already knows how to make Indian food. The cooking experience will be fun, not be more complicated than following a recipe for any type of food.
Credit: YouTube
