basmati rice

While this curry from Meera Sodha’s cookbook “Made in India” is rooted in tradition and complexly flavored, it’s also approachable enough for a weeknight. She transforms cauliflower from a humble vegetable to a rich centerpiece with the addition of cashews, coconut, fresh ginger and a flurry of spices you’re likely to have in your pantry. Serve with rice for an exceptionally good vegan supper.

Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea and Coconut Curry

ginger,

garlic cloves, chopped

green chile, roughly chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)

Kosher salt

canola oil

onions,

tomato paste

coriander

cumin

chile powder

cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pounds), broken into bite-size florets

coconut milk

unsalted cashews (about 3/4 cup)

peas

garam masala

cilantro, leaves chopped,

lemon wedge,

basmati rice,

Place the ginger, garlic and green chile in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Mash until a paste forms and set aside. Alternately, finely chop the ginger, garlic and green chile together, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then mash into a coarse paste using the flat portion of your chef’s knife.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium. Cook the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, chile powder and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Stir in the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium. Fry the cashews, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the peas and garam masala to the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Top the curry with the cashews, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon just before serving. Serve with a big steaming bowl of basmati rice.

I could use all sorts of fancy words to explain this dish, but the best description is this: pizza in rice form. The inspiration for the recipe, though, is oddly enough not Italian — it’s a hybrid of a classic South Indian tomato rice with onions and a shockingly fantastic Spanish rice recipe my mom and I photocopied out of my seventh-grade Spanish textbook for a school project. The crispy, bubbly, broiled Cheddar topping (use the sharpest white Cheddar you can find!) adds a little something something, making it a worthy dinner party dish.

Tomato Rice With Crispy Cheddar

olive oil

yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

Indian green chile

tomatoes

salt

basmati rice (from about 1 cup dry rice)

shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese

Adjust an oven rack to the highest position and heat the oven to 500 degrees.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and chile, spread them out in an even layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and starts to lightly char, 5 to 7 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes, using the back of a wooden spoon to lightly crush them. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a chunky sauce, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the salt and remove from heat.

Stir in the cooked rice and transfer to an 8-inch square (or similar size) baking dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top in an even layer.

Switch the oven to broil and place the baking dish on the oven rack closest to the broiler. Broil until the top bubbles and turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mulligatawny is a richly flavoured soup, spiced with curry powder and thickened with rice. Perfect for a cold day, serve with a dollop of tangy sour cream.

This meal, if served as five portions, provides 245kcal, 5g protein, 36g carbohydrate (of which 12g sugars), 8g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 5g fibre and 0.4g salt per portion.

Mulligatawny soup

butter

sunflower oil

onion,

carrots,

celery sticks, thinly sliced

sweet potato, peeled,

eating apple, peeled, quartered,

tbsp medium curry powder

vegetable or chicken stock cube (low-salt is best)

water

tomato purée

mango chutney

100 grams/3½oz basmati rice

grams/3½oz natural yoghurt

salt and black pepper

Basmati Rice

salt (or

tsp ghee (butter

saffron

Rinse the rice thoroughly with water to remove any excess starch.

Soak the rice with plenty of water for 30 minutes. You can do this in a separate bowl or the pot you are going to cook the rice in.

Drain the water.

Add the soaked rice to the pot. Add 2 cups water, salt to taste and a splash of oil. The oil will help prevent the water from boiling over which is caused by the starch in the rice, and some people say it also adds flavor.

Bring to a boil under medium-high heat, uncovered.

When it starts boiling, cover and lower the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

After fifteen minutes, take the lid off. If there is any excess water, allow it to boil off. Fluff with a fork, you are done.

Saffron: Start this option before you start cooking the rice. Warm one tablespoons of milk or water (I usually use the microwave). Crush the saffron with your fingers and add to the warm liquid. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. When the rice is ready, mix with a handful (about a 1/4 cup) of cooked rice. Then mix this colored rice back into the white rice.

Turmeric: Mix about an eighth teaspoon of turmeric with a tablespoon of water, then adding a handful (about 1/4 cup) of some still hot rice to your mixture. Then mix this rice back into the white rice.

(Optional) You can add a bit of color by using one of the two options below:

Pilau rice is so easy to make and a great recipe for adding a powerful flavour to your rice. Perfect served with chicken, lamb or beef spiced

Pilau rice

cumin seeds

1tbsp ghee or oil

cardamom pods

cloves

turmeric

bay leaves

cinnamon sticks, broken

This takeaway favourite couldn't be easier to make at home. Pull together a pilau rice with just a few storecupboard ingredients

Baking is a fail-safe, hands-off method for making perfect rice every time. Add roasted leeks, lemon peel, almonds and white beans, and it becomes a company-worthy vegetarian dinner inspired by prasorizo, the classic Greek rice-and-leek dish. Finished with Parmesan and fresh herbs, it's an excellent one-pan meal, but it would also be great served alongside grilled fish, shrimp or chicken. If you like, you can make it even more filling by adding other vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini or broccoli florets with the leeks and almonds, or stir in spinach, arugula or sliced snap peas after it comes out of the oven in Step 4. Omit the Parmesan and it’s vegan, too.

Baked Rice With White Beans, Leeks and Lemon

leeks

lemon

almonds

red-pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

white beans (such

Parmesan,

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the leeks until they’re clean, then shake or pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1-inch-thick strips of lemon zest,  then cut the lemon in half. Cut one half into four wedges and reserve the other half.

In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, combine the leeks, lemon zest strips, almonds, red-pepper flakes and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and arrange in an even layer. Roast until the leeks start to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

Finely chop the lemon zest strips, then stir it back into the leek mixture and arrange in an even layer. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the leeks, then top with the beans and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the boiling water, then seal the pan tightly with foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Squeeze the lemon half over the rice, then stir in Parmesan and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges, and more Parmesan and herbs, as desired.

This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Dal with lentils and coconut milk is a delicious vegan recipe - pair this Indian dish with basmati rice for a full meal!

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Dal

onions

garlic (minced)

butternut squash

dry red lentils

(796 milliliters) can diced tomatoes

curry powder

tsp chili powder

tsp pepper

spinach (chopped)

Cilantro and sesame seeds

Add all ingredients to slow cooker in order that they are listed except for spinach, garnishes and rice.

Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Meanwhile, cook basmati rice according to package directions in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.

Once dal is finished cooking, stir in spinach and then plate with rice, garnishing with sesame seeds and cilantro. Enjoy!

Cooked in two stages, this herbed rice, or sabzi polo, is a constant at the Persian New Year table, where everyone fights over the crust of crisp rice called tahdig. You can use a food processor to chop the herbs if you like. It's key to do the herbs in batches (don't overfill the bowl of the processor), to pulse rather than run and to stop and scrape a few times for even chopping. Work until the pieces are nice and small, about an eighth of an inch or the size of a small sunflower seed, but not so far that they begin to break down and form a paste.

Herbed Rice With Tahdig

unsalted butter

salt salt

dill leaves

cilantro leaves

Greek yogurt

neutral-tasting oil,

Place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water. Swirl vigorously with your fingers to release the starch, and change the water at least five times, until it runs clear. Once the water runs clear, let rice soak for 30 minutes.

Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Set a very well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Once water comes to a boil, season it very heavily with either 6 tablespoons fine sea salt or a generous 1/2 cup kosher salt and the ground turmeric. (Don’t worry about oversalting; the rice will spend only a few minutes in this water.) Drain rice, then add it to the pot and stir. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander in the sink. Cook rice, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain into the sieve, then rinse with cold water to keep rice from cooking further. Drain rice well and place in a large bowl.

Add leeks, dill and cilantro  to rice. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Remove 1 heaping cup of the rice mixture to a small bowl and mix with yogurt.

Rinse and dry the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the oil. When butter melts, add rice-yogurt mixture and spread it out into a thin, even layer with a heatproof spatula.

Pile remaining rice into the pan, mounding it gently toward the center. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, gently dig 6 holes into the rice down to the bottom of the pot, which will be barely sizzling. Dig 5 of the holes about 2 inches from the sides of the pan, and put one in the center. (The holes will allow steam to escape from the bottommost layer of rice and allow a crisp crust to form.) There should be enough oil in the pan that you can see it bubbling up the sides; add a little more oil along the edges of the rice if needed to see these bubbles.

Continue cooking rice over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until evenly browned along the edges, rotating the pan a half turn after 4 minutes to ensure even browning. Wrap a lid with a kitchen towel and cover pan. Turn the heat as low as it will go and continue cooking another 45 minutes, rotating the pan a quarter turn every 10 to 12 minutes. The rice is done when it’s cooked completely through.

To unmold the rice, carefully run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges of the pan to ensure that no part of the crust is sticking. Tip out any excess fat at the bottom of the pan into a bowl, gather your courage, and then carefully flip it onto a platter or cutting board. Serve immediately.

No dinner in an Iranian household is complete without polo, or rice. And no pot of polo is complete without tahdig, the crisp crust whose name means “bottom of the pot.” Tahdig is a highlight of Persian cuisine, and it can be made of rice, potatoes, lettuce or bread, as it is here. If you can’t get your hands on lavash bread, use a thin flour tortilla to line the bottom of the pot. Tahdig is easiest to prepare in a nonstick pot, but you could also prepare it in a cast-iron Dutch oven by reducing the heat to low and extending the cooking time to 50 minutes.

Polo Ba Tahdig (Persian Rice With Bread Crust)

saffron threads

lavash bread or 8-inch flour tortilla

neutral oil,

Place the rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Swirl the rice around to release some starch, then drain the bowl and fill again. Repeat several times, until water runs clear, then cover with ample water again and add 1 tablespoon salt. Let soak for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, fill a large soup or stockpot with 6 quarts water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add 7 tablespoons salt (the water should be very salty) and stir to dissolve.

Use a small mortar and pestle to grind the saffron into a fine powder with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Use a large fine-mesh sieve or colander to drain the rice well. Add rice to the pot and stir gently, then return sieve to the sink. Cook rice, checking the grains frequently for doneness. When the rice breaks easily between your fingers when pressed but is not so soft that it falls apart, it’s done. Most Persian or Indian basmati rice will take about 7 to 8 minutes to reach this point, but different brands will cook differently, so keep a closer eye on the rice than on the clock.

Working quickly, drain rice into the sieve and rinse with cold water until cool to remove excess starch and keep rice from overcooking. Taste the rice and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Let the rice continue to drain.

Use the lid of an 8-inch or 9-inch nonstick pot or cast-iron Dutch oven as a guide to trim the lavash bread into a slightly larger circle. It’s fine to use more than one piece of bread and patch things as needed. Alternatively, use a tortilla, which needs no trimming.

Place the pot over medium heat and add the oil. Carefully lay bread atop the oil and cook until it starts sizzling and turns a light golden color, about 30 seconds. Use tongs to flip bread and let it sizzle for another 30 seconds before adding the rice. Use a spatula to gently spread the rice evenly across the pot. Use the handle of the spatula to poke 6 to 8 holes in the rice down to the bread — this will encourage steam to escape from the bottom of the pot and yield a crisp crust.

In a small saucepan set over low, heat the butter and the prepared saffron until butter melts. Drizzle over the rice. Wrap the lid of the rice pot with a clean dish towel, using the corners of the towel to tie a knot atop the handle. Cover the pot with the lid — the cloth should not touch the rice, but rather absorb steam as the rice cooks to keep it from getting soggy.

Reduce the flame to medium-low (or low, if using cast-iron) and cook for about 48 minutes, rotating the pot a quarter turn every 12 minutes or so to ensure an evenly golden tahdig (add 12 more minutes for cast-iron). The rice will be done when the grains are elongated and dry and the edges of the crust turn a light golden brown.

To serve, place a large platter or plate over the pot, gather your courage, praise your ancestors and flip the rice. It should drop onto the plate in one piece. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, remove the tahdig to a separate platter to keep it from getting soggy as the rice continues to release steam.

Not every version of butter chicken uses butter. Coconut milk gives this slow-cooker chicken its creamy richness. This is a fast recipe for the cook: Just prep it earlier in the day, even during your morning routine, getting your onion and spices going on the stove while simultaneously making lunches for grumpy children, folding dish towels, feeding the dogs and wondering once again why no one else has done any of the above. If you're preparing pork or beef in the slow cooker, you'll want to brown the meat first, but that's not necessary with boneless cuts of chicken. The meat will be cooked within 4 1/2 or 5 hours, but if you need to let it sit a little longer — up to 7 hours total, on low heat — it will still be delicious, though the chicken may be very soft and shred a tad.

Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

vegetable oil

yellow onion, diced

garlic,

ginger

chicken thighs

lime zest

lime juice

coconut milk (if necessary, whisk to combine the liquid

chicken stock

cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Naan,

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions to skillet, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and cook another 2 minutes. Add garam masala, tomato paste and salt; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Place chicken pieces in a slow cooker, then add tomato paste mixture, lime zest and juice, coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir everything together, cover and cook on low heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. (You may let it cook up to 7 hours if necessary, but the chicken may be very soft and shred.) Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati or jasmine rice, and naan if you have some.

A perfectly cooked pot of plain white rice is a beautiful thing indeed. But basmati rice that's been cooked in a mixture of chicken broth and coconut milk then seasoned with a little chopped fresh ginger and scallions? That's borderline transcendent. The ginger doesn't overpower the rice here – you'll taste the mellow coconut first and the kicky notes of ginger second – so it makes an ideal accompaniment to stir-fries and braises.

Basmati Rice With Coconut Milk And Ginger

Basmati rice

chicken broth

salt,

scallions, thinly sliced

Fresh red chile, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Place rice in a fine strainer, and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water, coconut milk, chicken broth and salt. Cover, and place over medium-high heat. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce and simmer until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in scallions and ginger. Add a little more coconut milk if rice is too dry. Season to taste with salt. Serve.

This dish is called jeweled rice because it is golden and glistening, laced with butter and spices and piled with nuts and gem-colored fruits. In Iran, it is typically served at weddings or other celebrations. Great platters of it appear at banquets. It also goes beautifully with a weeknight roast chicken.

You will probably need to do a little shopping to make this traditional dish. But it is well worth it, and most good supermarkets can supply what you require.

David Tanis’s Persian Jeweled Rice

rice

Unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons in total

saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in 1/4 cup hot water

ground cinnamon

cardamom

allspice

black pepper

apricots

golden raisins

dried imported barberries

pistachios.

Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice — you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)

Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.

To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

Baking rice on a bed of tender vegetables has to be one of the most fail-safe ways to prepare it. Here tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil with cinnamon and thyme, then baked with basmati rice until everything is fragrant and soft. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, “Ottolenghi Simple,” it makes a spectacular side dish to pan-seared meats or fish, or can be the heart of a vegetarian meal with some crumbled feta and pine nuts sprinkled on top for serving.

Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

cherry tomatoes

garlic cloves

shallots,

cilantro stems,

thyme leaves

cinnamon sticks

fine sea salt, more as needed

Black pepper, as needed

cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cilantro stems, thyme, cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour oil over everything, then bake until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450.

Without stirring anything, sprinkle rice evenly over vegetables. Top with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.

Carefully pour boiling water over rice, then cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes, still covered.

Remove foil, gently stir in cilantro leaves, taste and add more salt if needed, and serve.

Learn how to cook Basmati Rice in the Instant Pot that is fluffy, light, tender, and doesn&#039;t clump together.  In this no-soak method, water is the only ingredient you&#039;ll need to make this easy and healthy Indian side dish to serve alongside your favorite chicken or vegan curry recipes.

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