PILAU RICE RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander seeds into a coarse powder. Add the cardamom pods and grind until the husks split and the seeds are lightly crushed. Add the cumin, cloves, cinnamon and bay and pound very lightly for a few seconds, to mix.
• Melt half the butter in a sauté pan or wide-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Sprinkle in the turmeric and mustard seeds, plus all the ingredients from the pestle and mortar. Fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring.
• Mix in the rice to coat it in the buttery spices. Add the stock and a good pinch of black pepper. Add a pinch of salt if needed (stock from a cube will already contain salt). Stir well and bring to the boil. Give a final stir then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes.
• When the rice is cooked, cut the rest of the butter into small pieces. Remove the pan lid and dot the butter over the hot rice. Leave to melt for a few seconds, then quickly fluff up the rice using a fork, taking care not to break up the grains.
• Replace the lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. (Warn your guests not to eat the cardamom, cinnamon or any whole cloves.)

Steps:

• For the garam masala, put all the garam masala spices in a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. Store in a tightly lidded jar, away from heat and sunlight. This makes about three tablespoons.
• For the pullao, wash the rice in several changes of water then drain. Put the rice in a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, then drain again.
• Peel and finely grate the ginger.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan (with a tight-fitting lid) set over a medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the mustard seeds.
• As soon as they begin to pop - a matter of seconds - add the chilli, potato, carrot and green beans and stir.
• Add the turmeric and garam masala and stir for one minute.
• Add the ginger and saute, stirring, for another minute.
• Drain the rice and add it to the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the rice very gently to mix it into the other ingredients and coat it with the oil and spices. Cook this way for two minutes.
• Add the 570ml/1 pint water and the salt and bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a very tight-fitting lid (if you don't have a very tight-fitting lid then cover the pan with foil then a lid) then turn the heat to very low and cook for 25 minutes. After this time try a grain of rice to see if it's cooked - cook for a few more minutes if necessary.
• Once it's cooked you can leave it with the lid on and the heat turned off for up to half an hour before serving. Or serve at once on a serving plate.