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Here is a delicious option to accompany the “butter chicken” I suggested. This rice is perfect and has multiple flavors. I prepared this recipe on instinct, inspired by Manju’s biryiani, a dish I will post soon! In the meantime, this rice with cashew nuts and raisins, can be decorated with other dried fruits: apricots, flaked almonds…
-400g of long grain basmati rice
-80g of raw cashew nuts
-60g of raisins
-2 onions
-1/2 bunch of coriander
-salt pepper
-60g of ghee (or clarified butter)
-2 Indian bay leaves (optional if not available!)
-4 capsules of cardamom
-2 cinnamon sticks
-2 tablespoons of milk
-a little kasuri methi (optional)
Clarify 100g of butter. Simply melt the butter and then remove only the top part. Don’t take the whey at the bottom! You can simplify the task by taking ghee, Indian butter already clarified which will be more suitable for the recipe anyway!
Put 20g of ghee in a small pan and let the raisins and raw cashews simmer.
The grapes will swell and the nuts will become colored.
Set aside nuts and raisins when nuts are nicely colored.
Leave the ghee in the pan and add 2 tablespoons. Cut the onions into not too large slices.
Let cook over fairly high heat.
The onions will color.
They will return some water, but it will eventually evaporate.
We want to get to the point where the onions get crispy. This whole process takes about 20 minutes. You don’t want to burn them either!
When the onions are crisp, set them aside.
Put a good amount of water in a large saucepan to heat. Add the Indian bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and two tablespoons of ghee.
When the water boils, add the washed rice.
Cook rice as directed on the package, removing 2 or 3 minutes from cooking time. It must still be al dente, because it will cook again a little.
Drain the rice well, remove the leaves, capsules and sticks.
Add 3/4 of the onions, cashews (keeping a few for decoration) and raisins.
Mix well, add milk, 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee.
Add the chopped coriander.
Mix well, let cook for 5 minutes on low heat to loosen the grains and add some kasuri methi (it’s optional!!).
Serve decorated with grapes, cashews, onions and coriander
