Indian Rice Recipies (Contd...)
Rice with Sesame Seeds - Til Bhath (South India)
Ingredients:
Serves: 4-6
2'h cups long grain rice
4 cups water
2'/s teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons light sesame oil
- Spices -
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
12 curry leaves
1 cup sesame seeds lemon juice to taste

Method:
Put rice, water and salt into a heavy saucepan, bring to the boil. Cover with well-fitting lid, turn heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave while preparing seasoning. Heat Sesame Oil in small saucepan and fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves until leaves are brown and Mustard Seeds pop. Add the sesame seeds and keep stirring over medium heat until the seeds are evenly golden brown. Mix this seasoning together with the hot cooked rice and add a little lemon juice to taste. Serve with curried vegetables, fresh chutney and fried pappadams.

Spicy Rice Maharashtrian Style - Masala Bhath - (Maharashtra)
Ingredients:
Serves: 6
3 cups long grain rice
3 tablespoons ghee
3 tablespoons oil
3 large onions, finely sliced

- Spices -
5 cardamom pods, bruised
2 small sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
20 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 cups hot water
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup raw peanuts/cashew nuts, split in halves
2 sprigs fresh curry leaves or 20 dried curry leaves
3 fresh green chilies, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

Method:
Wash rice well and leave to drain in colander for at least 30 minutes. In a large, heavy saucepan heat half the ghee and oil and fry the onions and whole spices until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove half the onions and set aside for garnish. Add turmeric and rice to pan and fry, stirring with slotted metal spoon, until all the grains are coated with the ghee. Add the hot water and salt, stir well and bring to the boil. Cover with tightly fitting lid and turn heat very low. Cook for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid.

Heat remaining ghee and oil in a small pan and fry the peanuts/cashew nuts until golden. Remove with slotted spoon. Fry the curry leaves, green chilies and mustard seeds until the seeds pop. Pour over the rice, lightly fork through. Dish up rice and garnish with the fried cashews, chopped coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut.

Rice with Yogurt - Thair Sadam (South India)
In southern: India, this dish is often served as the finale to a festive meal, but it may be presented as the meal itself, accompanied by curries and pickles.

Serves: 4-6
2 1/2 cups long grain rice
4 cups water
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
- Spices -
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dhal
1/4 teaspoon asafetida, optional
3 fresh red or green chilies, seeded and sliced
3 cups yogurt
salt to taste

Method : Put well washed and drained rice into a saucepan with the water and salt. Bring quickly to the boil, then cover tightly, turn heat very low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting lid. In another pan heat the ghee and fry the black cumin, mustard, dhal, asafetida (if used) and chilies until the mustard seeds pop and the dhal is golden brown. Remove from heat, garnish into the yogurt and add a little salt to taste. Mix thoroughly with the cooked rice.

Rice in Coconut Milk - Nariyal Bhath -(South India)
Serves: 6
2 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons ghee
2 medium onions, finely sliced
- Spices -
10 curry leaves
10 whole black peppercorns
1 small stick cinnamon
6 cardamom pods, bruised
6 whole cloves
a few cashew nuts
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 cups coconut milk
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Garnish:
1/2 cup fried cashew nuts


Method :
Wash rice and drain for at least 30 minutes. Heat the ghee in a heavy saucepan and fry the onions, curry leaves and whole spices, cashew nuts, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden. Add the turmeric and the rice and fry, stirring, until the rice is coated with the ghee, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk and salt, stir and bring to the boil, then cover with a well-fitting lid, turn heat very low and cook for 25 minutes or until the coconut milk is absorbed. Serve the rice hot, garnished with fried cashews and accompanied by curries and sambals.