Normally people hate to look into their past. But I’m someone who often look back to my past as it always help me to recollect all those people and incidents that has influenced me because of which I still carry them along with me. 🙂 This recipe comes with one such nostalgia.
I literally had handful of friends during my Graduation, among which a dear one from Villupuram who always shared a little portion of her food with me ( because I bugged her ) 😛 Later, she had to stuff her lunch box to the maximum because of me 😛 Her Amma, is an awesome cook. 🙂 I have tasted many dishes by aunty.
This particular dish, was the most liked of all and she particularly made this again for me when I stayed at her home in Villupuram. Years passed by, we got busy in lives and lost in touch in between. But, I couldn’t forget the taste of this rice till now. I’m not close to her recipe, but yes,I have tried my best to recreate from what she said 10 years back! 🙂 ( I think I need to bug her again and again to get the exact one 😉 )
See how strange life is, It will not let you forget some people even if you don’t talk to them on everyday basis! 🙂
So, coming to this recipe.Easy I would say, If you have coconut milk ready *refer notes .It’s and makes a good choice for lunch box. You don’t even need any side dish for this rice 😉 Ghee and coconut milk are the main ingredients in this.
Refer notes section to know pre-prep work to make it easy.
Coconut milk Ghee Rice.
- Rice /Kolam/Basmati/Jeera : 1 cup
- Coconut milk : 2 +1/4cup *refer notes
- Onion :1 medium chopped
- Tomato , ripe :1 medium , sliced
- Green chilli :1 no
- Cinnamom stick : two 1/2 ” pieces
- Cardamom :2-3 no just crush a bit
- Cloves :4-5
- Fennel seed powder :1/2 tsp
- Bay leaves/Biryani leaves : 1 big /2, if small
- coriander leaves : 2 tsp (optional)
- water :1 cup (optional, refer notes)
- Salt : as needed
- Ghee : 2-3tbsp
Method:
- Wash and soak the rice for at least 2-3 hrs. drain it and set aside .It helps the rice to remain soft after cooking
- In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, Bay leaves, followed by chopped onion. Saute the onions well to light brown in low to medium heat.
- Add the sliced tomatoes and let that cook for 2-3 minutes(do not cook till mushy)
- Add the drained rice into the pressure cooker and mix gently.
- Once the rice is fried a bit for 3-4 minutes add the coconut milk , salt ( water should taste slightly salty , so that the rice gets enough salt once cooked )and fennel powder and mix well.
- Bring the flame to high, let it boil .Cover with the lid and pressure cook for one whistle.Switch off the flame.
- Open the lid after 15-20 minutes and fluff with a fork, sprinkle coriander leaves if you wish.
- Serve with potato roast/or any gravy of your choice.
Notes:
- You can make coconut milk the previous day and refrigerate.
- I used 2cup /250 ml of coconut and 1/4-1/2 cup of water to and grind in a mixie and stained to make coconut milk .
- Be generous in adding the spices , as that the only taste enhancer.
- Ghee is another important ingredient. Do not skip that 😉
- You can also cook in 1 cup coconut milk+ 1 cup water ratio. But it may not render the real taste.
- I’m using Hawkins steel pressure cooker, which cooks fast.If your’s doesn’t cook in 1 whistle, go for 2.
- You can also sim after first whistle for 2-3 minutes and then switch off.
- This taste good if its little mushy.
- Soak..Soak..Soak the rice for at least 2 hrs. the more you soak the more soft the rice would be.
- Adding a 1/4 cup extra coconut milk/ water gives the mushiness yet not leaving the rice dry after cooking, so I recommend using a 1/4 cup extra always!
- your rice would look white if you are not using fennel seed instead of its powder and also not sauteing the onions to brown 😉 . (My little one might pick each fennel seed and onion if its visible 😛 )
