Subject: RECIPE: Basmati Rice Pilaf
From: nlm@attunix (Nancy Mintz)
Date: 29 Aug 86 05:27:59 GMT
Newsgroups: mod.recipes

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.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE BASMATI-RICE-1 B "26 May 86" 1986
.RZ "BASMATI RICE PILAF" "Basmati rice with carrots"
This is a delicate, fragrant rice dish\(emone of our favorites.
I got the recipe from an Indian cooking class.  It's a bit of work,
but well worth it.
.IH "Serves 4"
.IG "1 cup" "Basmati rice" "200 g"
(from Indian grocery or gourmet shop)
.IG "1" "small onion"
.IG "3" "medium carrots"
.IG "1" "bay leaf"
.IG "1" "cinnamon stick,"
crumbled
.IG "2" "cloves"
.IG "4" "black peppercorns"
.IG "\(14 tsp" "cumin seeds" "1 ml"
.IG "1 Tbsp" "light vegetable oil" "15 ml"
.IG "2 Tbsp" "butter" "30 g"
.IG "1 Tbsp" "kosher salt" "15 g"
(or to taste)
.PH
.SK 1
Wash the rice in cool water, squeezing gently with your fingers, until the
water runs clear.  Put the rice in 
.AB "2 cups" "500 ml"
of cool water to soak for 20 minutes.
.SK 2
Strain soak water into saucepan and heat.  Leave rice to dry in strainer.
Preheat oven to 
.TE 350 175 .
.SK 3
While rice is drying, chop onion finely and set aside.  Dice carrots and set
aside.  Measure spices.
.SK 4
When rice is dry, heat oil over medium high flame in heavy, oven-proof
skillet or casserole dish.  Add spices.
.SK 5
When spices become fragrant, add butter and onions.  Cook until onions are
tender and light golden brown.  Add carrots and cook for 3\-5 minutes.
.SK 6
Add rice and cook, stirring very gently for 5 minutes.
.SK 7
Add salt and heated soak water, bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until
water on top of rice has boiled off.
.SK 8
Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes at
.TE 350 175 .
.SK 9
Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
.NX
It is important to handle the rice gently so that the grains are not broken.
It's also important to use whole spices; ground spices would overpower
the rice.
.PP
This dish can be re-heated in the oven.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
30 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking and cooling.
.I Precision:
measure the ingredients.
.WR
Nancy Mintz
AT&T-Information Systems, UNIX System Development Lab, Summit, NJ
ihnp4!attunix!nlm