Having seen photos of some members' pilau rice posted recently, I thought it might be helpful if I elaborate a little on the techniques that I currently use.
1)
Rinse the rice thoroughly (until the water runs clear). This removes loose starch and thereby minimises sticking and enables free flowing grains to be produced
2)
Soak the rice in water for a while (at least a few minutes). This softens and elongates the grains.
3)
Drain the rice well. This removes excess water prior to frying.
4) I currently fry the spices in a few tablespoons of ghee. The spices I currently use are: a couple of cloves (not too many because their taste is overpowering), a few cardamom pods (cracked open), a few fresh curry leaves, a piece of cassia bark (and/or a cinnamon stick), an Indian (or English) bay leaf, half a teaspoon or so of panch phoran (an equal mix of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, wild onion seeds and fennel seeds), a few chopped coriander stalks and a little chopped pandam leaves....all of which are optional of course.
5) I have stopped using the garlic and ginger I specified in the recipe since I think it overpowers the taste.
6) I generally add a little yellow food colouring (and/or a little tumeric when frying the spices) to impart an overall pale yellow colour (instead of white) to the rice.
6) The rest of the process is as described in the recipe.
7) Boiling in excess water is by far the simplest (i.e. most easily conrolled) method for the novice. I don't think much in the way of taste is sacrificed. But the end result (free-flowing grains) is more easily achievable.
It is important to
add sufficient water to ensure that the rice does not boil away to a stodge. It is also important not to add too much water so as to dilute the taste too much.
9)
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ONLY BOIL THE RICE UNTIL IT IS JUST AL DENTE (i.e still has a bite). Always err on the side of undercooking it rather than overcooking it. It only takes about 5 to 7 minutes for basmati rice.
10) When ready,
immediately transfer to a colander to drain
11)
Drain well, but
do not leave it to congeal in the colander for too long (a few minutes is sufficient)
12) Transfer the rice to a large shallow dish (e.g. a roasting tray)
13) DOT
A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FOOD COLOURING OVER THE RICE. I use a couple of DROPS of liquid yellow (to accentuate the yellow in places), a DROP or two or liquid red, and a DROP or of liquid green....all of which are optional of course. I don't use a syringe or anything else, just pour it from the bottle and be careful not to overdo it.
DO NOT USE TOO MUCH RED OR GREEN....it might not look too pretty!
14) Put the rice in the fridge to
dry well. Leave it for
a couple of hours for the colours to "fix" or they will bleed into the rice when you mix it!
15) After a couple of hours, remove the rice from the fridge and
gently mix it by turning with a large spoon (being careful not to break the grains)
The photos show:
- the rice after boiling and draining
- the liquid food colourings I use
- the rice after addition of the liquid food colourings
- the rice after drying the rice, "fixing" the colours in the fridge, and mixing
- the rice ready to serve
I hope this is helpful
Topic: CA's Perfect Pilau Rice - Every Time! (Illustrated!) ( 128,217 )
