Pilau rice (Leicester takeaway recipe)

[ScottyM]

This is the recipe used in one of my favourite BIR takeaways in Leicester.

Perfect results everytime.

Ingredients

600g Basmati rice
820g/ml water
5 tbsp Ghee
2tbsp Cumin seeds
6 cardamon
1 cinnamon/cassia stick
4 bay leafs
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 cloves
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp yellow food color (powder)
1 tbsp red food color mixed with a little water

Method

Wash the rice until water runs clear and then leave to soak in more water for 20-30 mins.

Drain completely

Heat ghee in a large heavy bottom pan and fry off the spices and then add drained rice and fry for 1 minute.

Add water and yellow color and bring to boil, cook on high heat while stirring until water has been absorbed.

flatten rice and splash red food color over the top.
Cover pan with a lid and turn heat to its lowest setting and leave to steam for 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and leave for another 10 mins to dry out before fluffing up and eating.

Enjoy!

[Standard Tandoori]

Got to say that I really fancy the sound of this - we do our rice by the absorption method so intend to do the spice frying stage as described and then after stirring in the rice, cook as we would normally with a volume of water equal to the dry volume of the rice. This is brought to the boil and then turned off on our electric cooker's hotplate and left to come off the boil naturally and then sit on the hotplate for about 20 mins. I realise this probably only works for us with our cooker but we have got used to it over the years and the rice swells beautifully and finishes neither too 'grainy' or too soft.

Looking forward to it. Will try and remember to post up the results!

Steve.

[Gav Iscon]

We like photos Steve, even if its just rice 

[haldi]

The bit where you

"Cover pan with a lid and turn heat to its lowest setting and leave to steam for 10 minutes."

is where I always have trouble
The rice tends to stick badly
I think you need a really heavy bottomed pot to do this

[fried]

I think it depends on the rice. If I use tilda and I soak it, it turns to mush. I just cook on 3 for 13 minutes after cooking the spices and adding water. By me I mean the missus, as she won't let me touch rice.

[curryhell]

By me I mean the missus, as she won't let me touch rice.

Lol

We like photos Steve, even if its just rice 

Here, here

And using an electric hob, that's why i perfected the oven method.  Tried several times to cook it on the hob and failed miserably.  Oh for a gas hob when i first moved in.  But after 20 years, I soon learned how to get round the initial problems  ;D  Still would love a gas hob though  :

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have never, /ever/, regretted to moving to a Pyrex

[Gav Iscon]

The bit where you

"Cover pan with a lid and turn heat to its lowest setting and leave to steam for 10 minutes."

is where I always have trouble
The rice tends to stick badly
I think you need a really heavy bottomed pot to do this

If your on gas and can't get it low enough hence the sticking to the bottom, get one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIMMER-RING-PAN-MAT-HOB-TAGINE-HEAT-DIFFUSER-GAS-ELECTRIC-COOKERS-STOVE-NEW-/321990128315?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Or try putting your tava under the pan

[Curryon]

I struggled with mushy rice too until I found this method. It works well every time on our induction hob. I would say it would work no matter what rice you use. We use ALDI rice.

Wash rice (Say 1 full cup) in large pot. Change water a couple of times.
Soak in water for 20 mins
Drain and pour in boiling water 1.5 times the quantity of rice ie 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cup of boiling water
Put on hot ring to bring to the boil quickly
Once boiled turn down very low and put the lid on
Cook for 6 minutes with lid on. The water should have been absorbed by then
Remove lid and wait til most of the steam has dissipated
Stir the rice and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Stir the rice again and leave until all the steam dissipates, this takes a further 5 minutes
Then put the lid on until you are ready to use it

You can change the quantity of rice but just make sure to keep the ratio of rice to water at 1:1.5