I am always looking for dishes to serve at parties, so I decided to take a cooking class at Schoolcraft College from Chef Gabriel. We had the chance to cook dishes from India. This basmati rice pilaf was especially tasty.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1 cup Onions, small dice
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Basmati rice, washed and rinsed
1 ½ cups Water or chicken broth
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Grated ginger
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Curry leaves, cut into fine strips
To taste Salt and pepper
Garnish: Toasted almonds
Method:
- Heat the ghee in a sauce pan and sauté the onions until they begin to brown.
- Add the garlic, turmeric and curry leaves, and sweat until the spices begin to get fragrant.
- Add the rice and stir evenly, add the stock and lemon juice, and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer on a very low flame until all liquid is absorbed. Do not stir.
- Garnish with toasted cashews.
Basmati rice is one of my favorite types of rice, both white and brown. Here is a YouTube video about how to cook the perfect Basmati Rice. The cooks in the video “Show Me the Curry” strain the rice, where as I have always allowed the rice to soak up the water until it is flaky.
Rice is a great dish to serve at a party, but the timing on the different types can be tricky. Here are some guidelines to cook rice properly.