Vegetable Rice Pilaf
By Shubhra Ramineni from her cookbook “Entice with Spice: Easy and Quick Indian Recipes for Beginners"
Vegetable Rice Pilaf
By Shubhra Ramineni from her cookbook “Entice with Spice: Easy and Quick Indian Recipes for Beginners"
Yield/Serves:
3-4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes + 5 minutes to rest
Refrigerator life: 3 days
Freezer life: 1 month
Reheating method: Place the refrigerated or defrosted rice in a microwave, sprinkle a few drops of water on it and stir periodically. Or, place the rice in a saucepan, sprinkle a few drops of water on it and warm over medium-low heat, stirring periodically.
- 1 cup (180 g) uncooked white Basmati rice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 3 cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 whole green cardamom pods
- ½ cup (75 g) green edamame beans or ½ cup (60 g) green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1½ cups (150 g) fresh or frozen bite-size cauliflower florets (no need to defrost the frozen ones)
- 1½ cups (75 g) fresh or frozen bite-size broccoli florets (no need to defrost the frozen ones)
- 1 medium russet potato (about ½ lb/225 g), peeled and cut into ½ in (1.25cm) cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- Place the rice in a sieve. Rinse with cold water while rubbing the rice with your fingertips.
- Pour the oil into a large saucepan and place it over medium heat. When the oil is heated, add the onion, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and bay leaf. Open the cardamom pods and add the seeds and the pods. Sauté until the onion is browned and the edges just start to crisp, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
- Add the edamame (or green peas), cauliflower, broccoli, potato, and carrot. Cover the saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice. Stir thoroughly. Add the water and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Stir and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the saucepan. Simmer undisturbed for about 10 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed and you do not see any more water on the bottom of the saucepan if you insert a spoon through the rice.
- Turn off the heat. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes on the warm stove. Keep covered until ready to serve or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze for later. Before serving, gently fluff the rice with a fork to mix the vegetables. You may leave the whole spices in for presentation. Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Shubhra Ramineni from her cookbook, “Entice with Spice: Easy and Quick Indian Recipes for Beginners” www.spicegirlkitchen.com