Recipe by:   Radhika of    SINSATIONS-Cakes to drool over!    (sinsationscakes.wordpress.com)

INGREDIENTS

For the green masala:
•   A big bunch of coriander, cleaned and chopped
•   Green chillies, 2-6, depending on your level of tolerance
•   Salt, 2 tsp

Prep ahead:
•   Grind the coriander and chillies, adding very little water.
This can be done 2-3 days ahead of time, or half an hour before you begin.

For the rice:
•   Basmati rice, 1 1/2 cups, washed clean and soaked for 30 minutes
•   Onions, 2, cut into a fine dice
•   Green chillies, 2, slit
•   Vegetable Oil, 4 Tbsp (I use Canola)
•   Ghee, 4 tbsps, optional (add more oil, if not using ghee)
•   Cinnamon, 1″ stick
•   Cloves, 2-3
•   Cardamom, 2-3 pods, peeled
•   Whole black pepper, 4-5
•   Split Bengal gram [1],  3 Tbsp (optional)
•   Split black gram [2],  2 Tbsp (optional)
•   Coconut milk 1, 200ml tetrapak or a 50g packet of powder
•   Fresh corn, 1 cup (you can add peas, or a combination of both)
•   Cashews, roasted, for the garnish, 4-5 Tbsp

[1]  Bengal gram is dehusked chickpea or garbanzo bean.
[2] Black gram is a lentil used extensively in Indian cooking.

Indian cooking uses a lot of lentils to add protein to the diet.
When roasted or fried, these add crunch and texture to dishes.
But you can easily do without them.

Method:

Pour the oil and ghee into a heavy bottomed pan with a lid. I use a pressure cooker for this.

Add the whole spices and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the Bengal gram if using it and fry for 2 minutes, then add the black gram.
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Add the onions and green chillies and fry until the onion is translucent.

Add 5-6 tbsps of the green masala paste and fry until fragrant.
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Add in the corn (and peas if using them).
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Next, add the drained rice and gently toss to coat each grain with the oil.
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If using the tetrapak of coconut milk, add enough water to make 3 cups of liquid. If using the powder, mix it into 3 cups of warm water for it to dissolve easily.

Add the liquid to the rice. Add salt to taste. Cover and let the steam build up, without putting on the “weight” of the cooker.

Once the steam builds up, set a timer to 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, turn off the heat and put the weight on to keep the steam in.

Open after 20 minutes and gently fluff up the rice.

Remove into a serving dish and top with the cashew nuts.

Serve with a simple ‘raita’ of yoghurt and diced/grated Japanese cucumber, and some crunchy ‘vadams’ or popadums.

~    आप का खाना स्वादिष्ट हो   (āp kā khānā svādiṣṭa ho)    •     Bon Appétit!     ~