This is one of my all time favorite dishes. It can be eaten as a complete meal by itself - we often make it for Sunday lunches at home! The aroma of rice cooking in coconut milk with cloves and cinnamon is heavenly and the part I look forward to the most whilst making this.
My mom would make this on special occasions and we kids would love it. One of the few occasions where we would eat all the vegetables without a fuss, and trust me, this has a lot of veggies!
It may seem a little time consuming at first but only because you need to assemble the ingredients together. By the second or third time, you become familiar and it only gets easier!
I take a shortcut with this dish at times and don't make it completely from scratch. For example, I may use coconut milk out of a can instead of squeezing it out of coconut flesh or I may use packaged tomato puree or frozen vegetables. You can also use brown rice instead of white to make it healthier. Instead of oil, you can also use ghee which adds to the flavor and "good fat" content of the ingredients. I have edited this recipe a bit to include all the shortcuts a busy woman would take!
My vegan friends can also enjoy this - simply omit the cream. You can use ghee as it does not contain any lactose, however, coconut oil will also make a good substitute.
You can change the vegetables if you want and also increase or decrease the spice levels of the dish. The original recipe asked for 6 -12 dried red chillies but I used only three and it was perfect for me. Enjoy it with a glass of port wine to balance out the heat!
Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal (edited)
Serves: 2 - 3 people as the main meal
Ingredients:
For the rice:
1 teacup white/brown rice, soaked for 20 minutes
1 can coconut milk
2 small sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste
For the paste:
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 grated coconut
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 small sticks cinnamon
3 cloves
3 peppercorns
5 cloves garlic
3 - 4 dried red Kashmiri chillies (depending on how spicy you want it, you can use upto 10)
1 tablespoon khus-khus (optional)
1 teaspoon oil
For the curry:
3 teacups mixed boiled vegetables (if you use frozen vegetables, they will thaw while cooking. No need to boil). Vegetables can include peas, corn, carrots, french beans, cauliflower, potatoes etc)\
Puree from 2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon ghee
Garnish:
Coriander leaves
Fried cashewnuts
Fried onions, thinly slices
Preparation:
For the rice:
1. Heat the ghee and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the spices and fry again for a few seconds. Add the soaked rice and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the coconut milk and some water. Cover the pot and cook the rice until it is tender. The time will differ depending on the rice you use. Add some more water if required. The rice will become gooey and stick to each other. This is normal.
For the paste:
1. Heat the oil and fry all the ingredients for 2 minutes.
2. Grind it into a paste with some water.
For the curry:
1. Make a pulp with the tomatoes or keep the puree aside.
2. Heat the ghee and fry the paste for 1 minute.
3. Add the vegetables, tomato pulp/ puree and about 1/4th cup water and boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Add the cream, sugar and salt.
Serving:
1. Spread the rice in a small baking tray and cover with all the curry. You may want to keep some of the rice aside if you find the quantity too much.
2. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a hot oven at 450 F for 25 minutes.
3. Garnish with coriander leaves, cashewnuts and onions. Serve.
My mom would make this on special occasions and we kids would love it. One of the few occasions where we would eat all the vegetables without a fuss, and trust me, this has a lot of veggies!
It may seem a little time consuming at first but only because you need to assemble the ingredients together. By the second or third time, you become familiar and it only gets easier!
I take a shortcut with this dish at times and don't make it completely from scratch. For example, I may use coconut milk out of a can instead of squeezing it out of coconut flesh or I may use packaged tomato puree or frozen vegetables. You can also use brown rice instead of white to make it healthier. Instead of oil, you can also use ghee which adds to the flavor and "good fat" content of the ingredients. I have edited this recipe a bit to include all the shortcuts a busy woman would take!
My vegan friends can also enjoy this - simply omit the cream. You can use ghee as it does not contain any lactose, however, coconut oil will also make a good substitute.
You can change the vegetables if you want and also increase or decrease the spice levels of the dish. The original recipe asked for 6 -12 dried red chillies but I used only three and it was perfect for me. Enjoy it with a glass of port wine to balance out the heat!
Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal (edited)
Serves: 2 - 3 people as the main meal
Ingredients:
For the rice:
1 teacup white/brown rice, soaked for 20 minutes
1 can coconut milk
2 small sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste
For the paste:
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 grated coconut
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 small sticks cinnamon
3 cloves
3 peppercorns
5 cloves garlic
3 - 4 dried red Kashmiri chillies (depending on how spicy you want it, you can use upto 10)
1 tablespoon khus-khus (optional)
1 teaspoon oil
For the curry:
3 teacups mixed boiled vegetables (if you use frozen vegetables, they will thaw while cooking. No need to boil). Vegetables can include peas, corn, carrots, french beans, cauliflower, potatoes etc)\
Puree from 2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon ghee
Garnish:
Coriander leaves
Fried cashewnuts
Fried onions, thinly slices
Preparation:
For the rice:
1. Heat the ghee and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the spices and fry again for a few seconds. Add the soaked rice and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the coconut milk and some water. Cover the pot and cook the rice until it is tender. The time will differ depending on the rice you use. Add some more water if required. The rice will become gooey and stick to each other. This is normal.
For the paste:
1. Heat the oil and fry all the ingredients for 2 minutes.
2. Grind it into a paste with some water.
For the curry:
1. Make a pulp with the tomatoes or keep the puree aside.
2. Heat the ghee and fry the paste for 1 minute.
3. Add the vegetables, tomato pulp/ puree and about 1/4th cup water and boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Add the cream, sugar and salt.
Serving:
1. Spread the rice in a small baking tray and cover with all the curry. You may want to keep some of the rice aside if you find the quantity too much.
2. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a hot oven at 450 F for 25 minutes.
3. Garnish with coriander leaves, cashewnuts and onions. Serve.
