Simple Basmati Rice

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

I am here to share this perfect rice recipe with you! The best part is that not only does one end up with a great pot of rice, this method conserves time and energy, two of our most dwindling resources.

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

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

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.