It's important to remember that rice is not just rice. There are dozens of different grains, very different grains with different qualities. For instance, long grain basmati rice is beloved because it's so not sticky starchy, every kernel is a stand out. In contrast, short grain sushi rice is so sticky starchy, grains hold together indiscriminately in a seaweed wrap. Italian arborio and carnaroli rice is short grained but requires long cooking in which it becomes starchy enough to soak up whatever is with it in the pot: ergo risotto! Spanish short grain paella rice does the same thing but in much less time. You get the point: know your rice.
And part of that knowing is that paella is the Spanish word for pilaf. Pilaf, plov, pilau and all the linguistic variations mean rice mixed with lots of other good foods.
Here are some ways to celebrate the world's most beloved and used grain. I'm starting with Hoppin John because down South it's considered the luckiest food to eat on New Year's Day. And because we're still in holiday hoopla time I'm including the most festive. Next post will provide thriftier, simpler rice dishes like vegetable paella. Egyptian kushari (rice with lentils and macaroni), Bhutanese red rice pilaf, Mexican rice and another tomato rice.
Hoppin' John
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| not my photo |
For 6-8
½ lb. black-eyed peas, soaked
overnight and drained
2-3 tbsp corn oil, enough to
cover the bottom of your pot
1 lg onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sm poblano pepper, roasted
and diced
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cayenne
2 celery ribs, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
½-1 cup water
½ bunch collard greens,
chopped
1-1½ cups rice (depending on
how thick you want this)
Salt and black pepper to your
taste
Heat oil in a heavy gauge
casserole or stock pot. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until onion is
soft and translucent, maybe 5 minutes. Add garlic and poblano
pepper, stirring to blend. Sauté 1
minute. Add spices and celery. Sauté
2 minutes. (Add oil if necessary)
Add broth, water and
black-eyed peas. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 45
minutes.
Add collard greens, rice,
salt and pepper. Cover and continue to simmer another 20-25 minutes, checking
from time to time that you have enough liquid. Add water by the ¼ cupful if you
need it. Taste for seasoning, adjust
if necessary, and serve with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.
Uzbek Plov
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| not my photo |
serves 8-10
¼ c vegetable
oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 large red onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds beef round or chuck, cut into 1 1/2”
cubes
1 tbsp cumin seeds, preferably Uzbeki, plus
more to taste
1 tbsp sea salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup barberries (the best substitute are cranberries)*
10 large carrots, peeled and cut in 2” lengths,
then shredded in a food processor or grated by hand
1½ pounds medium-grain rice, preferably Kokuho
Rose extra fancy sushi
¼ tsp cayenne, plus more to taste
2 fat scallions, finely chopped for garnish
1 handful pomegranate arils for garnish
*failing that soak raisins in lemon juice
Combine oils in
a 7-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions “taste of the oil” and are
golden; remove to a plate.
Add the beef in
2 batches, cooking until browned on all sides, about 30 minutes. Return the
beef and onions to the pot, then add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cumin seeds, 1 1/2
teaspoons of salt, black pepper, half
the barberries and a handful of the carrots. Add enough water to cover, about 6
cups. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for 35
minutes.
While the meat
is cooking, wash the rice in a large sieve with cold water until the water runs
clear. Soak the rice in warm water for 15 minutes to open it up, drain.
Toss the
remaining carrots with the remaining salt and the cayenne. Spoon the carrots in
a layer over the meat, adding more water if needed to cover the carrots. Cover
the pot and cook for just a few minutes.
Without
disturbing the carrots, spoon the rice gently on top. Cook, stirring the rice
every 10 minutes and making sure not to touch the carrots until the water is
evaporated and the rice cooked, about 30 minutes in all. Cover the pot and cook
over low heat for 10 more minutes.
To serve, spoon
the rice onto a large platter, then top with the carrots and meat. Sprinkle the
scallions on top, along with the remaining cumin seeds, barberries and pomegranate
seeds.
Arroz con gandules (green pigeon peas)
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| not my photo |
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ lb. country ham or roasted pork, cubed
½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 sm yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp annatto aka achiote seed or powder
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1½ cups medium grain rice
1 can (15 oz.) gandules (green pigeon peas)
4 oz. tomato sauce
¼ cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos, sliced
Heat oil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ham/pork to pan. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up brown bits from bottom, until they are soft and translucent, 10 minutes. Add coriander, annatto, garlic, cilantro and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add rice to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until it coated in oil and toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in the gandules, tomato sauce, olives and 1½ cups of water. With a wooden spoon, stir once and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until water is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Gently stir rice from bottom up.
Lower heat to low/simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fluff rice with fork. Cover pan and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1½ cups medium grain rice
1 can (15 oz.) gandules (green pigeon peas)
4 oz. tomato sauce
¼ cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos, sliced
Heat oil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ham/pork to pan. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up brown bits from bottom, until they are soft and translucent, 10 minutes. Add coriander, annatto, garlic, cilantro and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add rice to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until it coated in oil and toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in the gandules, tomato sauce, olives and 1½ cups of water. With a wooden spoon, stir once and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until water is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Gently stir rice from bottom up.
Lower heat to low/simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fluff rice with fork. Cover pan and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Indian Biryani
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| preparing ingredients |
Serves
6-8
Grind
together this spice mix:
2
1/2” fresh ginger root, peeled
4
garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3
cardamom pods (if you don’t have pods use 1/4 tsp ground cardamom)
2”
cinnamon stick or 1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
3
whole cloves
1/2
tsp black peppercorns
Make
rice
Wash
2 cups good quality Basmati rice and cook until tender with
3
1/2 cups water
2
tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1/4
tsp salt
1/4
tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
When
rice is cooked, stir in the saffron with its water.
Heart
of the Biryani
1
tbsp corn, mustard, safflower or olive oil
2
tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1
lg yellow onion, peeled, halved, then sliced into very thin wedges that will
break up into thin strings of onion
1
Indian or Chinese eggplant, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
3
med carrots, diced
2
med Yukon gold or purple potatoes, washed and diced
handful
of green beans (10-12) diced
1
cup either finely shredded and diced red cabbage or corn
1
medium yellow or zucchini squash, diced
1/2
tsp chili powder (Arbol is most authentic if you have it)
1
tsp anise or fennel seeds
1
cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1
tsp salt
1
c coconut milk
Optional:
you may need 1/2 c vegetable broth if the pot gets too dry.
In
a medium soup pot or casserole, heat oil and ghee over medium flame.
When
the mix is hot, add onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until onions are soft
and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Now stir
in the spice mix you ground and continue to sauté until it’s aromatic and the
onions have a golden color, another 3-5 minutes.
Add
the chopped vegetables, chili powder and fennel seeds. Stir to blend and
continue cooking until the vegetables are hot. Add the coconut milk, salt and
chopped cilantro. Stir to blend. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables
are soft, checking to insure there is always some juice in the pot (1/4-1/3 cup
is fine). Add broth if necessary.
Once
vegetables are soft and rice is cooked, combine them in a large, wide pan or
serving dish.
Finishing
touches
Melt
1/2 cup ghee or butter in a small frying pan or skillet.
When
it’s hot, add 1/2 cup raw almonds.
Sauté
3-5 minutes until almonds are hot and coated with butter.
Toss
in 1/4 tsp salt.
Pour
contents of the frying pan over the biryani.
Optional:
you can also fry a small onion, thinly sliced, in butter until it’s crisply brown
and put it on top as the final touch of tastiness.
Arabian Gulf Rice aka Mandi
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| not my photo |
1 lb basmati rice, soaked in lots of water 2 hrs
2 1/4 lbs unshelled tiger/king prawns
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/4 c olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 onions, peeled: 1 cut into 4 wedges, 1 diced and 1 sliced in thin disks
1 lemon, halved
1 lemon, juice only
1 whole head garlic, cut in half horizontally
3 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock
2 cinnamon sticks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite size pieces
8 cardamom pods, smashed
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 green chili pepper, seeded and minced
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp (lg pinch) ground cloves
3/4 c chopped or grated tomatoes
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
Drain the soaking rice in a sieve and set aside.
Peel and de-vein the prawns, saving the heads and shells.
In a bowl, mix the peeled prawns with garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, two garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate while you continue.
In a large lidded saucepan, combine the prawn heads and shells, lemon halves, head of garlic, stock, one cinnamon stick and 1 tsp salt. Over med/high heat, bring to a boil. Immediate lower heat to low, cover pot and simmer 25 minutes. Set a sieve over a bowl or saucepan and strain the broth to remove the solids (in the sieve).
On medium/high heat, in a lidded saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add chopped onion, green pepper, cardamom and 1 cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes until the onion is soft and starting to get light brown. Add remaining garlic, ginger and green chili. Cook 1 minute. Add the spices, the remaining turmeric, tomatoes, cilantro and 2 tbsp prawn stock you made. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Stir in the drained rice and coat it well in the mixture. Add 2 3/4 c prawn stock with 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of fresh black pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot tightly with foil, then with the lid and turn heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Turn heat off. Let the pot stay put lid on another 15 minutes. (It's steaming the rice.)
Uncover the pot, add 2 tbsp butter. Put the lid back on and let the rice sit 10 minutes. The butter should have melted through it. While you're waiting, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the sliced onion and sauté stirring to soften and deeply brown it (caramelize), 12-15 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the remaining tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add the marinated prawns (you may need to do this in two batches) sauté until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and mix with the dill, chili, lemon juice and remaining cilantro.
Spread the rice on a large platter, top with the browned onions and then the prawns. Serve right away.
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