20 Min

GF

NF

Caramel Pilaf

This technique originates from the Sindh province, where using a touch of caramel to flavor rice with spices and seasonings is fairly common. There is some use of sugar (or jaggery) in the recipe but the final product is not sweet, just a rich and nutty flavor.

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Cook Time

30 Minutes

Serves

4

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the rice 2 to 3 times. Soak in cold tap water for about 2 to 3 hours and drain.

Step 2

In a medium-sized stockpot, heat the ghee and fry the crushed peppercorns. Then add the sugar or jaggery and lower the heat. The sugar will start to melt and burn slightly – do not be alarmed!

Step 3

When the sugar has reached a dark brown color, add 2 cups of water along with the ginger and salt.

Step 4

When the liquid has come to a boil, gently add the drained rice, lower the heat and cover the stockpot. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes but do not stir the rice. Turn off the heat after the rice has rested for about 10 to 15 minutes; fluff it gently with a fork and serve.

Notes & Variations

This pilaf is a side dish. To make it a main dish, stir in chopped vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini, kale, or spinach), herbs (such as mint, cilantro, or flat leaf parsley) and nuts or dried fruits at the end.
If you do not have whole peppercorns, add a teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Instead of water, add a chicken or vegetable stock.

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain basmati rice

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

2 tablespoons cane sugar or 1 tablespoon jaggery

2 tablespoons unpeeled grated ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

Step 1

Rinse the rice 2 to 3 times. Soak in cold tap water for about 2 to 3 hours and drain.

Step 2

In a medium-sized stockpot, heat the ghee and fry the crushed peppercorns. Then add the sugar or jaggery and lower the heat. The sugar will start to melt and burn slightly – do not be alarmed!

Step 3

When the sugar has reached a dark brown color, add 2 cups of water along with the ginger and salt.

Step 4

1 cup long-grain basmati rice

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

2 tablespoons cane sugar or 1 tablespoon jaggery

2 tablespoons unpeeled grated ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

Notes & Variations

This pilaf is a side dish. To make it a main dish, stir in chopped vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini, kale, or spinach), herbs (such as mint, cilantro, or flat leaf parsley) and nuts or dried fruits at the end.
If you do not have whole peppercorns, add a teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Instead of water, add a chicken or vegetable stock.

Tags:

20 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Tags:

20 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Let's make a meal out of it!

Here are some light soups that will pair well with this side of pilaf.

MAKE LUNCH EASY.

Shrimp Mango Soup

Chicken Mulligatawny

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Asparagus Pilaf

Adding vegetables to rice is such a wonderful way to pump up flavor and nutrition that making plain rice seems almost boring in comparison. We’ve noticed children particularly like it and it’s one way to get them to eat more vegetables. A nice way to welcome spring is by mincing asparagus and adding it to the pilaf at the end of cooking. This cooks it slightly yet maintains the bright chlorophyll green color of the vegetable as it folds into the flavor of the rice beautifully. Try this rice pilaf on its own or with a curry of your choice.

120 Min

GF

V

Biryani

Biryani usually starts with marinated meat, chicken, vegetables, or beans slow cooked with warm spices, onions, garlic, and ginger to make a base masala. Tomatoes, yogurt, or coconut can be added next. On the lighter side, one can forego the onion masala and make a vibrant fragrant green herb masala, like a salsa verde or pesto (minus the cheese) for quick cooking seafood or vegetable biryanis. Rice is usually prepared separately, and can be cooked in stock or just plain water – saffron and/or warm spices like a large stick of cinnamon, mace flowers, or bay leaves can be added to the rice. I usually cook the rice with oil rather than ghee or butter as the oil facilitates the flakiness of the rice and prevents it from getting sticky. It is best to make the rice last as freshly cooked hot rice is placed over the base masala topped with nuts and dry fruits, tightly sealed, and allowed to rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes for all the flavors to meld. Here is a recipe for a simple garbanzo and vegetable biryani that can be easily adapted to the addition of meat.

25 Min

GF

NF

Black Truffle Pilaf

In this pilaf, the saffron and mace add a sweet note to the earthy truffle.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Cauliflower Kale Pilaf

The cauliflower gets soft and buttery while it boils with the rice and the kale adds a slightly bitter hearty touch at the end.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Cauliflower Lentil Pilaf

The hot rice will wilt the greens and also add tremendous flavor and nutrition to the pilaf.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Celery Rosemary Pilaf

If you do not have celery leaves, use half a head of celery, thinly sliced.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Citrus Pilaf

Adding zests of orange, lemon or lime to a pilaf can magically transform it to new heights.

20 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Clove Masala Pilaf

Cloves are a fragrant spice with magical powers.

90 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Coconut Clove Pilaf

Cloves make this a delicious and unique pilaf. Can be eaten as a meal (yes, it’s that good) or as a side.

30 Min

GF

Curry Masala Vegetable Pilaf

Use leftover rice to make this pilaf – even dried up old rice works. It’s lovely for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

130 Min

Dum Chicken Pulao

Pulao, which usually refers to meat and rice cooked together in a pot can be even more delicious especially when made in the ‘dum’ (cooking under steam) style. It is a one-pot-wonder, aromatic yet not too spicy and the Chai masala, which is slow cooked with the chicken and rice, suffuses the rice with its heady aroma. This is a big recipe but do note that the pulao tastes even better the next day.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Fennel Pea Pilaf

This pilaf is very good for stimulating digestion.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Garbanzo Kale Pilaf

This pilaf can make a great meal on its own with just some plain yogurt on the side and also tasted great the next day.

110 Min

GF

Ghee Bhat

This is a take on a traditional rice dish usually made with short grain rice and any kind of meat stock. We used brown basmati rice, which takes a while to cook but absorbs the flavor of the stock beautifully. The aromatic spices, onions and coconut add enough depth of flavor to the rice to be eaten on its own. This rice dish works well with Lamprais, the popular traditional Dutch-influenced dish from the colonial days.

90 Min

GF

NF

Ghee Drippings Pilaf

With a nutty complex aroma, ghee is the golden healing elixir of Indian cooking, touted in Ayurvedic lore to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer and for enhancing the flavor of spices. As with most ingredients, the better the butter the more flavorful the ghee. When making ghee the milk solids reduce and concentrate and are usually discarded. However, these milk solids are filled with tremendous flavor so they can be easily used to cook rice with or added to stews and bread doughs.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Golden Rice

Fragrant cinnamon and saffron balance the pungency of the fresh turmeric.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Lentil Pilaf

Can be eaten as is with a curry or can be embellished with roasted vegetables, herbs or nuts and dry fruit.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Lettuce Fried Rice

Eating vegetables and fruits grown by local farmers with stellar practices is one of the best ways to build immunity in our bodies. Whether it’s by visiting neighborhood farmers markets or getting a farm share, there is no time like the present to support our farmers and ranchers — they need our business. Always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into our meals, at the recommendation of a friend, I tossed fried rice with torn lettuce, and it made for a delicious light lunch. The lettuce wilted every so slightly but tasted really good — and who doesn’t love a flavorful, light fried rice?

35 Min

GF

Mushroom Walnut Pilaf

This pilaf can stand on its own or can be used as a phenomenal side dish for grilled or roasted meats. Replacing water with stock gives the pilaf a lovely meatiness.

20 Min

GF

Pomegranate Pilaf

Pomegranate juice adds a slightly sweet and sour flavor to the rice however to get it to this stunning color, slice the beets thinly.

25 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Simple Basmati Rice

Basmati rice, a long grain rice grown in Northern India, is aged for 2 to 3 years to develop flavor. We like to serve this rice with an intense fragrant curry like the Kerala vegetable stew or a hearty meat stew.

20 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Pop Masala Rice

We added the zest of two oranges to the rice, but you could either leave this out or replace it with lemon or lime zest.

75 Min

DF

GF

V

Purple Cabbage Pilaf

The pilaf is a showstopper when made and can be served alongside grilled meats or vegetables or a simple stew. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, there are a multitude of ways to enjoy it, if not just straight out of the refrigerator. It can go into a salad, a stir fry or just dumped into a warm stew or curry.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Spring Pea Pilaf

A pea pilaf is as common in India as mashed potatoes in the United States. We eat it with a simple dal for dinner or on its own with plain yogurt.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Spring Pilaf

Cabbage may be a humble brassica, but it is packed with plenty of essential phytonutrients and makes a great low-calorie addition to the pilaf

60 Min

GF

Squid Ink Pilaf

Squid ink is a gorgeous addition to rice or curries to create a briny ocean flavor.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Swiss Chard Pilaf

High in antioxidants and dietary fiber, one cup of braised chard provides more than the recommended daily dose of vitamin A. Enjoy this pilaf with soup or dal, curried lentils.

100 Min

DF

GF

V

Tamarind Rice

This is an adaptation of a traditional South Indian rice that is so delicious it can be eaten just on its own. It is also good cold or at room temperature.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Tomato Pilaf

This pilaf can be a meal in itself, however, when paired with a creamy curry, it makes for a winning combination.

50 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Turmeric Rice

A basic rice dish but like most dishes in Sri Lanka, it is made with a bit of coconut milk.

30 Min

GF

Vegetable Pilaf

This pilaf tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Vegetable Poha

Originally from Maharashtra, a state in the western and central peninsula region of India, poha is now enjoyed across the country in different iterations. In southern India, it is often prepared with cashews and coconut. In Gujarat, the state I was born and raised in, poha is usually cooked with onions, ginger, peanuts and fresh herbs. A bowl of steaming fragrant poha with leftover vegetables made for many a memorable breakfast during my childhood. Even though poha is made from rice, somehow it has a lighter texture but deeper flavor than cooked rice. I always keep a jar of poha tucked away in my pantry to turn into a quick, delicious meal.

45 Min

GF

NF

Yogurt Rice

A staple of South Indian cuisine, particularly during sweltering summers, yogurt rice or curd rice in its simplest form is steamed white rice tossed with plain whole-milk yogurt. It is usually eaten cold at the end of a meal to help aid in digestion and cool the palate after eating spicy, warming foods. In its most glorious form, the yogurt rice combination is tempered with ghee, mustard seeds, red chiles, fresh coconut, curry leaves, herbs, nuts, and dry fruits. There comes a time every summer when the Texas heat cries out for cooling foods like these — that time is now. This version is more like a rice yogurt salad, flavored with saffron, herbs, celery, and lots of tangy seasonings. Keep it tucked away in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days; the flavors of saffron will only get more luscious and the yogurt rice will make a delicious snack or a side dish.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Asparagus Soup

Best made in spring when asparagus and fennel are in season, this soup is creamy with the simple addition of sesame seeds.

120 Min

GF

NF

Chicken Mulligatawny

Legend has it that one time an Englishman asked his South Indian cook to prepare a soup as a starter — and soups being unfamiliar to his Indian cuisine, the ingenious cook created the Mulligatawny (“molo tunny” in Tamil means “pepper water”) by combining rasam, a traditional peppery lentil broth with vegetables.

120 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Garlic Garbanzo Soup

When we are preparing for a possible onslaught on our immune system, a small cup of garlic soup a day may be just what we need.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Golden Beet Soup

Given the cold weather, I decided to make a warming soup with the golden beets and, on a hunch, instead of the perfunctory turmeric, added saffron threads and sesame seeds to the broth, with delicious results.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

Shrimp Mango Soup

Here is a delicious South Indian inspired shrimp soup with mango, a fruit much more likely to show up in savory foods in India. Enjoy it on its own or with noodles or rice.

60 Min

GF

NF

Tamarind Soup

For most Sindhis, this tamarind fragrant soup, or Sindhi kadhi, as it is called, is synonymous with a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch. Usually eaten with steamed rice and sweet laddus, this was one of my favorite memories of growing up in a traditional Sindhi household.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Asparagus Pilaf

120 Min

GF

V

Biryani

25 Min

GF

NF

Black Truffle Pilaf

In this pilaf, the saffron and mace add a sweet note to the earthy truffle.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Cauliflower Kale Pilaf

The cauliflower gets soft and buttery while it boils with the rice and the kale adds a slightly bitter hearty touch at the end.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Cauliflower Lentil Pilaf

The hot rice will wilt the greens and also add tremendous flavor and nutrition to the pilaf.

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