Topic: British Indian 2go Pillau rice

[Aussie Mick]

This is how we do our rice.

Firstly, buy the best rice you can afford. We use "Aeroplane LA Taste". Expensive but you get what you pay for.

Wash the rice several times and soak in hot water for at least 20 min's

Boil up water (this is the excessive water method, so make sure you have plenty in there) and add some lemon juice, salt and oil to the water.

Put the rice in and stir. Keep a close eye, it won't take long because it has been soaking. When it is "al dente" strain immediately, put into a large enough container and work a bit of oil through the rice (stops it clumping together. Add some Shan Pillau Biryani mix. (If you are cooking enough for 4 servings, you will only need about a quarter of a packet). Then fry up a tarka of cumin seeds, Indian bay, cardamoms, cassia bask and whatever else takes your fancy ie cloves etc. Pour this into the rice.

Then make a mix of rose water with your favourite food colouring. Pour this into the rice and allow the colours to "set" for a couple of minutes. Mix thoroughly and ENJOY.

[George]

add some lemon juice, salt and oil to the water.

How much of each, please?

[Aussie Mick]

Hi George,

Fora 4 portion size, I would say probably a tablespoon  each of lemon and oil and a pinch of salt. We obviously cook much larger quantities, and we basically add a good glug of oil and lemon and a small handfull of salt.

Cheers Mike

[RubyDoo]

Interesting to see that you wash and soak the rice. 
As guided / suggested by Julian and Dave loyden, I never wash or soak, just pick over for little stoney bits. Never had a bad one.  . Use proper aged rice though..

[h4ppy-chris]

thanks mick for taking the time to post the recipe.

[George]

Add some Shan Pillau Biryani mix. (If you are cooking enough for 4 servings, you will only need about a quarter of a packet). Then fry up a tarka of cumin seeds, Indian bay, cardamoms, cassia bask and whatever else takes your fancy ie cloves etc.

You obviously selected the best recipe you know for pilau rice, in order to maximise customer satisfaction but I've never heard of anything like the Shan mix being added. Does it result in the pilau rice going a bit brown? i.e. rather than the pure white I typically see in a BIR (plus colours like red and green added to pure white grains).

I added some lemon juice to rice last night and couldn't tell any difference, to be honest.  What's your rationale for adding lemon juice?

[Peripatetic Phil]

You obviously selected the best recipe you know for pilau rice, in order to maximise customer satisfaction but I've never heard of anything like the Shan mix being added. Does it result in the pilau rice going a bit brown? i.e. rather than the pure white I typically see in a BIR (plus colours like red and green added to pure white grains).

It does for me, which is why I tried it once and never again.  The Shan Pulau mix that I bought had not only whole spices (which barely affect the colour) but also ground spices of varying degrees of coarseness.  Since that one disastrous experiment I have reverted to my earlier method which uses only whole spices and leaves the rice beautifully white (particularly if one washes it thoroughly first).

** Phil.

[Aussie Mick]

I suppose it's a love/hate thing with Shan Pillau biryani mix. Personally I'm in the "love" section. Many of our customers have commented on how much they prefer the "new improved rice".

George, according to Raj, adding the oil and lemon juice to the water, stops the rice sticking and will also compensate if you overcook it slightly, which is very easily done in a busy restaurant kitchen. Our rice pan is so huge, we cannot carry it to the sink, we have to scoop out the rice with a jug into buckets and drain in collanders in the sink. This process can take a good 5, 6 or 7 minutes after the rice has been cooked. The lemon holds off the "mushiness" effect.

If it is too overcooked, we get it straight into the coolroom for 1/2 an hour, and it is then still useable.

BTW, if you don't wash your rice THOROUGHLY before use, you could be putting sand/grit/soil and god knows what else into your body. Many restaurants don't wash it, coz it takes time, and THEY won't be eating it......simple as. Same goes for lentils, they need 3 times the amount of washing that rice needs. Our rice is aged basmatti rice and to the best of my knowledge, there isn't a more expensive rice available in Perth. It still needs a good wash however, as it's grown in a field with soil, sand, crap etc all over it.

[Secret Santa]

The basmati rice we get in the UK is always perfectly clean Mick so we don't need to do any pre-washing. The pilau though does sound odd for a BIR, but if it works for your customers who's to say it's wrong.

[George]

I suppose it's a love/hate thing with Shan Pillau biryani mix. Personally I'm in the "love" section. Many of our customers have commented on how much they prefer the "new improved rice".

I'm not doubting how good your rice might taste. It's only that it doesn't sound like BIR pilau rice as I know it. You may have said before, but how much exposure have you had, if any, to curry houses (BIRs) actually in the UK? Probably more than I have, for all I know!