I've always liked flavorful and aromatic rices, and Indian-style rice was an early recipe candidate for me once I began to focus more on cooking. Here is my current recipe, put together by combining and tweaking elements of multiple other Indian rice recipes I've made, and with the end result having actually been approved by at least one Indian acquaintance. As always, authenticity matters less to me than whether I like the final result.
Note that this recipe makes use of some ingredients that give the end result a more characteristically "Indian" or "ethnic" taste that will likely be at odds with what many people (based on experiences at local Indian restaurants) are expecting. If this an issue, omit the ingredients in blue.
Ingredients:- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups water, divided into 1/2 cup and 1 3/4 cup portions
- 1/2 g Spanish saffron
- 1/2 tsp methi seed (fenugreek seed, available in Indian markets)
- 1 to 1.5 T oil (I use olive)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 8 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp hing (available in Indian markets)
- 1 T freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
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