Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lip Smacking Methi Rice


This recipe is from a very sweet motherly lady I met at the Indian store last month. She was telling me it is a Mangaloroean dish. I hope I meet her again so I'll be able to thank her for this simply wonderful delight.

Ingredients-
1.Basmathi rice- 2 cups - raw, washed & drained
2.Fresh Methi (Fenugreek-leaves and fine stems) cleaned well and coarsely chopped - 1 or 2 cups
3.Onion - 1 medium or large - sliced
4.Garlic - 1 or 2 pods - sliced
5.Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 tsp

Method-
Add ghee/oil to a pan, saute sliced onion and garlic. Saute them for a good 3 or 4 minutes, until the raw smell disappears. Now add jeera and saute for another good 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the chopped methi, turmeric powder, and a few pinches of salt. Saute for another couple minutes until the leaves are wilted.
Add the basmathi rice and saute for another 5 minutes. (To make sure the grains don't get broken, do this quite gently).

Once the rice has been sauteed for a good 5 or 6 minutes, transfer this mixture to a pan (that you can put inside a pressure cooker) and add 4 cups of water.
Check for salt, and pressure cook this like you do rice.
Serve with anything you like (plain curd and papads - YUM YUM).

This was her basic recipe. In my very first trial, I added chopped tomatoes & chilli powder (while stirfrying) to the basic recipe. I also had some fresh mint leaves in the fridge which I chopped up with the methi leaves. It came out so very yum. Lil Miss Bubbly proclaimed 'Mommy is the best cook in the world!'. Mommy smiled and thanked the sweet lady she met at the Indian store.

Another time, I made this on a work night. I didn't have the patience so I did just the basic recipe. It came out so very yum. Lil Miss Bubbly loooved it and proclaimed - yes, what all Mommies love to hear. (Added bonus- this time I didn't have to hide the leaves inside the rice - Lil Miss Bubbly was hunting for the leaves - yyay!!)

And O, btw, making this entirely with ghee takes it to a whole different level. Thats what I did the first time.

Enjoy!