Basmati rice doesn’t have to all be simple and bland. You can flavour it up using a few tricks (and spices)! Here’s an easy way of how to add flavour to food using healthy, top quality spices.
Recipe: Cardamom Basmati Rice
Serves: 2
Ingredients
– 1 cup Basmati rice
– 5 jumbo Black Cardamom pods
– 1 stick of ceylon cinnamon
– 2 whole long peppers
– 1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter)
– 1 and 1/2 cups of water
– Sea salt to taste
Recipe
1. Rinse basmati rice by putting in a sieve and running it through cold water while mixing with your hands.
2. In a heavy bottom pot on stovetop, gently heat the ghee and add black cardamom pods, cinnamon and long peppers.
3. Stir while on low heat for a few minutes to allow spices to infuse the ghee with their aromas and flavour.
4. Add the rinsed basmati rice to pot, folding butter into rice kernels.
5. Now add water, a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce to absolute lowest heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid for 20 minutes, then check to see whether all the water has been absorbed into the rice. Cook for another 2-5 minutes if necessary… it largely depends on what heat you have been cooking the rice at.
7. Remove from heat and let rice sit covered for a few minutes.
8. Remove the spices, and serve piping hot.
You can also use this rice as a base for fried rice, and you can also use this technique with ghee / oil to add flavours to other starches such as pastas and potatoes.