VENKAT MURTHY is a hospitality professional, chef, and an educator who trains aspiring student chefs in Sydney, Australia. This year, he will be sharing his favorite Indian recipes with Heartfulness Magazine.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Rice – 500 g
Water – 750 ml
Oil – 2 tbs
Cashew nuts – 30 g
Coriander
leaves, chopped – 2 tbs
Mint, chopped – 2 tbs
Cinnamon stick – 1
Cardamom
pods – 2
Cloves – 2
Bay leaves – 2
Star anise – 1
Onion,
sliced – 1 medium
Green chillies, slit – 2 small
Ginger and garlic
paste – 1 tbs
Chilli powder – 1 tbs
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Yoghurt
– 1 tbs
Tomatoes, chopped – 4 medium
Mushrooms, halved or quartered
– 200 g
Green peas – 100 g
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Method
Wash and soak the rice in cold water. You may soak it for as long as half an hour for a better result. Keep aside.
Mix together the chopped coriander and mint and divide it in 5 portions. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed deep pan on a medium flame. Add cashew nuts and sauté until they are lightly brown. Remove.
Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and star anise. Stir.
Add onion, slit green chillies and 1/5 of the chopped coriander and mint mix. Stir and sauté until the onion is lightly coloured.
Add ginger and garlic paste, stir and sauté for a further 2 minutes, or until the raw flavour is removed.
Add another 1/5 of the mint and coriander mix, chilli and garam masala powder. Stir and cook for a few seconds.
Add yoghurt, stir, and simmer, on a low heat until the liquid evaporates. Follow this with tomatoes, another 1/5 of the mint and coriander, mix and cook until the tomatoes are well blended.
Add mushrooms and peas and stir for a few minutes. Now add 750 ml or 1½ times that of rice water, another 1/5 portion of the mint coriander mix, and wait until water boils vigorously. Add salt.
Drain the rice and add it to the boiling liquid. Simmer until water is absorbed.
Add lemon juice, the fried nuts, and the last 1/5 of mint and coriander on top of the rice. Do not stir.
Cover with a cloth and then a tight-fitting lid. Place it in a preheated oven at 200° C for 15 minutes.
Remove and rest for 5 minutes. Open the lid, remove the cloth, and stir carefully so as not to break the rice.
Serve hot with raita.
Raita:
Yoghurt – 250 ml
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (chopped) – 1 tbs
Cumin
Powder – ½ tsp
½ a small green chili, slit (Optional)
Method
Whisk yoghurt lightly. Add salt and ½ of the chopped coriander leaves and cumin powder and stir. Sprinkle green chili and the other coriander leaves on top. Serve chilled.
Variations:
Mint Raita: Replace fresh coriander by fresh mint.
Onion Raita: Add chopped Spanish onion and stir carefully.
Tomato Raita: Add chopped tomato and stir carefully.
Cucumber Raita: Add chopped cucumber and stir carefully.
Capsicum Raita: Chop capsicum, sauté until tender and add to yoghurt.
Carrot Raita: Add grated carrots and stir carefully.
You can also make different combinations of vegetables.
Photography by CLAYTON HAIRS
Venkata Murthy
