An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [84]
Lift cover off rice pot and quickly (also carefully) lay the flowerets on top of the rice. Cover pot again, and cook about 10 minutes, until cauliflower is heated through.
To serve: Very carefully move all the cauliflower to one side of the pot. Spoon the rice onto a large platter first, then lay the cauliflower on top of the rice.
Serve with any combination of meats, vegetables, and lentils. This again is a very useful and versatile dish that goes well with most American roasts and chops.
Rice with spinach
SERVES 4–6
2 cups long-grain rice
3 teaspoons salt
1½ pounds fresh spinach or 2 packages frozen spinach, chopped
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
Wash rice thoroughly in colander. Invert into large bowl, and cover with cold water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Leave for 2 hours.
Fill a 4–6-quart pot with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
If you are using fresh spinach, trim and wash thoroughly, making sure all the sand is out. Wilt the spinach by dropping it, a little at a time, in the boiling water. As the spinach wilts, remove it to a colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze the moisture out by pressing between palms of hands, and put on chopping board. When all the spinach is done, chop very finely. (Or: following package directions, cook frozen spinach until it is just defrosted. Drain, then squeeze out moisture.)
In a 3–4-quart flameproof and ovenproof casserole, heat the oil, add the onions, and sauté on medium flame about 5 minutes. They should just turn golden. Now put in the chopped spinach and garam masala. Sauté for about 30 minutes. (This much can be done in advance and the dish left covered for a few hours.)
Preheat oven to 300°.
Drain rice and add to spinach with 2¼ cups water and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut aluminum foil to cover top of pot snugly. Cut a hole about ½ inch in diameter in the center of the foil to let the steam escape and the rice dry out. Place foil-covered dish in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Check to see if rice is done. If not, leave 5 minutes longer.
To serve: The rice is now ready to serve. If dinner is delayed, turn the oven off and leave rice in it for another 10 minutes.
Even though this dish is best served straight out of the oven, you can, if necessary, cook it 3 or 4 hours earlier. When cooked, leave it out for 5 minutes with foil on. Then cover it with a tight lid, but do not refrigerate. Fifteen minutes before serving reheat it in a preheated 300° oven for 15 minutes.
To serve: Spinach rice can be served plain or garnished with Fried Onion Rings.
For an Indian meal, serve with Koftas, Seekh Kababs, Lamb Korma, Chicken Cutlets, or Eggs Moghlai. Serve a yogurt dish with it and a vegetable, cauliflower or carrots. As for an American meal, we tried it recently with liver, bacon, and grilled tomatoes, and it was wonderful. It is also good with lamb chops or a lamb or beef roast. This is an excellent dish to impress guests with-because it tastes very good and looks spectacular.
Rice with spinach cooked in aromatic broth
SERVES 4–6
This dish is very much like the preceding recipe, Rice with Spinach, except that instead of cooking the rice in water, it is cooked in yakhni, a deliciously flavored beef broth. (Another yakhni recipe, using pieces of lamb; is given as part of the pullao recipe.)
Follow the preceding recipe, adding 2¼ cups of the following flavored beef broth instead of water:
YAKHNI
2½ cups canned or homemade beef broth (not bouillon)
1 medium-sized onion, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
7 whole cloves
4 whole cardamom pods
2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick, 2½–3 inches long
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Put the