Basmati Rice Pilaf

Name: Basmati Rice Pilaf
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 473 milliliters basmati rice; 2 bay leaves; 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, black seeds reserved, pods discarded; 12 black peppercorns; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 6 servings Kosher salt; 1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced; 2 Tbsps unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons, cut into slices, optional; 946 milliliters cold water; 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

Basmati Rice Pilaf is a gluten free and vegetarian recipe with 6 servings. One portion of this dish contains about 5g of protein, 4g of fat, and a total of 273 calories. This recipe covers 6% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It works best as a side dish, and is done in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. A mixture of water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so tasty.

Instructions

To wash or not to wash rice? In the case of basmati, no matter what my preparation is, I always wash it. It cleans out any small particles and it also rids the rice of any starch on the grain. This starch makes the rice gummier when cooked.

Ingredients you will need

Grains

Rice

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

In a medium bowl, add the rice and 4 cups of cold water. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Rice

Equipment you will use

Bowl

In a small bowl, add the cumin seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out onto a baking sheet and put it in the center of the oven to lightly toast the spices and awaken the flavors, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Black Peppercorns

Fennel Seeds

Cumin Seeds

Bay Leaves

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Spices

Toast

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Bowl

Oven

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the spices to cool.

Ingredients you will need

Spices

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the butter and the onion. Season with salt and cook until the onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Onion

Spices

Salt

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Drain the rice but reserve the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear the rice crackling, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved soaking water. Season with a generous portion of salt and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Rice

Salt

Cook the rice over medium-low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Take a fork (so as not to damage the rice) and flake a few grains off to taste for doneness. It may need to be cooked another 2 to 4 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Grains

Rice

Remove from the heat and allow the rice to "rest" (as you would a roast beef) for 10 minutes before "forking" it gently into a serving bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, if desired, and serve.

Ingredients you will need

Roast Beef