Tag: basmati rice
Morel Mushroom Rice Pulao
I never knew morel mushrooms are used in Indian cuisine. I was talking to my Mom about cooking for some friends who are vegetarian and I wanted to make a rice dish with mushrooms. She told me about how many years ago, this rice dish was served at very fancy weddings. Especially since morels are and were very expensive to buy so only the very wealthy could afford to serve them.
I was very surprised to hear that morels are used back home- I usually associate the mushrooms with Italian cuisine. Anyway, she explained to me how the rice dish is made and I replicated it with very good results. I used dried morels and reconstituted them in some hot water. I also managed to find mushroom broth which elevated the flavor factor by many notches.
Overall, it was a delicious dish- especially served with a variety of vegetarian dishes.
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Cilantro and Dill Rice with Green Peas
This green rice has amazing flavor with cilantro and dill. The great thing is that the rice is cooked in the green sauce.
I blended a mixture of cilantro, dill, green onions and garlic. I then sauteed the sauce in oil and cumin seeds. This mixture smells amazing and can be used as a basic sauce for cooking all sorts of things- including shrimp, chicken or any kind of vegetables.
I then added some basmati rice, water or chicken broth and cooked the rice as I normally would. Right before the rice is done, I add a cup of frozen peas. I let the rice sit with the lid on and the peas cook in the steam.
This rice is delicious as a side dish with anything or even as light meal.
I love making it with some lentils on the side and I have a perfectly balanced dinner.
Try this rice next time you are looking for a side dish or a snack…
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Tomato Rice with Peas
This is my version of a South Indian rice dish my husband has all the time at restaurants. I have never made it before and thought it would be nice to try it at home. It is essentially cooked rice sauteed with a lot of spices, lentils and curry leaves. I decided to take it to another level and make a one pot meal out of it. How much do we love one pot meals?
In order to make this dish balanced I added frozen peas and shredded paneer which is an Indian style cheese. So now I had vegetables and protein in the rice dish. I guess if you wanted to be even more healthy, you can use brown rice instead of the white.
The rice dish was super flavorful with the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a blend of spices. The crushed tomatoes and peanuts made this dish fabulous. My daughter is not into nuts- so all I did was take them out for her. She was very skeptical trying the rice- but once she had a bite, she was sold…
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Fried Rice with Green Beans
This fried rice dish is perfect for the fish recipe I posted yesterday. I love making fried rice for meals- especially since I can incorporate lots of different vegetables and feed my family.
My daughter loves all versions I have made in the past- well, almost all of them.
For this one, I bought a bunch of green beans from the farmers market. They were lovely looking and I couldn’t help buying them. As I thought about what to make for dinner, I was flipping through a food magazine and came across a fried rice dish. That is when I decided to chop the green beans really small and make a delicious rice dish with them.
You can’t make fried rice without first making plain rice. How do you make your rice? I make mine with chicken broth. It imparts delicious flavor without much effort and I am always looking to add flavor into anything I can. The rice comes out yummy- lightly salted and nutty and it is perfect and ready to use for the fried rice.
I sauteed the plain rice with your usual suspects and in no time had a delicious fried rice dish. Try this recipe next time you are in the mood for some healthy Chinese food.
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Mango and Rice Salad
I love, love this salad. I utilized our favorite fruit in the house-mangoes. I make everything with this delicious fruit- entrees, appetizers, salads and dessert, oh, and some delicious drinks as well. I needed to serve a side dish with the shrimp curry I posted yesterday. I wanted to make some kind of a starch and also vegetables. I decided to make a rice salad (never made one before) and use mangoes, red peppers, green onions, cilantro and mint. How can you go wrong with all those delicious ingredients??
I made a fabulous dressing consisting of rice vinegar, honey and olive oil. It is amazing to me how just the right ingredients can make such a big difference in a dish. The tangy dressing made the rice salad absolutely delicious and it went perfectly with the shrimp curry. We ate the rice salad a few days even after the curry was finished. It tasted better the next day.
This salad will be perfect with any grilled entree like hamburgers, hot dogs or even steak. This will be a staple in our house for the summer.
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Rice with Cilantro and Dill
Although I didn’t serve this rice with the fish tacos and bean salad, I think it would go really well with that meal.
This dish is probably the simplest to make and has tons of flavor. The two main ingredients are fresh cilantro and dill.
I always have a huge bunch of cilantro in my fridge. When you bring a bunch home, the key is to wash the cilantro and spread it on your countertop over a thick towel. Let it dry completely- then roll it up in some paper towels and store in a zip lock bag. It keeps in my crisper for a long time and is ready whenever I need it- which is almost everyday.
I have started keeping dill in my fridge as well- I love it’s earthy flavor in rice dishes, curries and especially paired with fish or shrimp. In fact, this summer I am growing some in my backyard. I can’t wait to pick some and add it to a fresh salad- yum!
Anyway, back to the rice dish. You simply make your rice – I like to cook mine in chicken broth to give it an extra boost of flavor. Once the rice is almost done, add some frozen peas on top and place the lid back on. The peas will thaw and soften and won’t over cook. Once the rice is room temperature, add the cilantro and dill- that is it. It is super simple, but the flavor is unbelievable.
Try it with a grilled meal outside- it will go perfectly well with some grilled chicken!
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Pico De Gallo Rice
As I was thinking about making the chicken taco salad super flavorful, I was also wondering what to serve with it…
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I was disappointed with my lunch at Restaurant Serenade and was in the process of replicating it. The original entree was served with a mixed salad. I wanted to serve rice with it as well as a tomato salad. To save time, I thought of combining the two and came up with this rice dish- it is yummy.
I started with cooking rice in chicken broth with salt and smoked paprika. I wanted to infuse tons of flavor into the rice even before it finished cooking. As the rice cooked, I prepared the rest. I chopped the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, etc and mixed them with some lime juice. I also had queso fresco in the fridge which as a great salty flavor and is used in many Mexican and Latin dishes. I decided to slice some and add it to the mix.
Once the rice was cooled off- I added all the veggies and the cheese and I had a delicious, flavorful side dish to serve with the taco salad.
Definitely try this one- it is great to make with any entree!
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