Everyone has known for a long time: cooking rice in the East is not just cooking, but a whole art. that's why the rice is delicious there.
We have a much simpler attitude to this product - either porridge or a side dish. Well, another one of the soup toppings. However, the lack of habit and tradition does not prevent us from enjoying oriental delicacies at all, right?
especially since cooking rice only seems complicated. In fact, the biggest problem is the pan. We will need a pan with thick sides and bottom and preferably a non-stick coating. This is in the event that there is no well-deserved, fat-soaked cast iron, which itself repels products from itself, providing them with a fried, tasty crust.
So, we take:
A pound of basmati rice. patriotism is inappropriate here - Krasnodar rice may be good, but in this case it will not work.
A couple of good carrots. Good - not in the sense of royal size, good in the sense that they should be quite juicy and tasty.
One not spicy and not bitter onion.
Half a cup of almonds and peeled pistachios.
One hundred grams of barberry berries (dried).
Half a glass of melted (and, better, ghee) butter.
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon, caraway seeds and cardamom - all ground, in powder.
A pinch of saffron.
Sugar - three teaspoons.
A tablespoon of natural yoghurt.
Salt and pepper to taste.
How we cook:
First, we rinse the rice and soak it for a couple of hours in ice water. While it is standing, knead the saffron in a mortar (if it is not there, with a spoon) and fill it with a couple of tablespoons of warm water.
Peel the carrots and onions, cut them like pilaf. Fry in oil.
Wash the barberry and soak it for fifteen minutes (then drain it on a towel).
Chop and fry the nuts - but do not let them burn.
Now you can cook!
We take a couple of liters of water, bring to a boil. Add some salt and add that very spoonful of natural yogurt there
Don't ask why. So it should be... Most likely for a more interesting taste of rice.
And then we send rice to cook - but not until cooked, but until half cooked, it's about five minutes. Then pour the rice onto a sieve, removing the remaining water.
We put a cauldron, a non-stick saucepan or a powerful cast-iron frying pan on the fire (the pan must be deep).
Pour melted ghee into the bottom so that it evenly covers the bottom. Layer rice, fried onions with carrots, sprinkle with a mixture of spices. Pour all of this on top with saffron water and the remaining oil. cover the casserole or cauldron first with a towel, and then only with a lid. This is to prevent condensation from dripping from the lid onto fig.
We put on a very slow heating for about an hour.
During this time, we prepare barberry: pour a little oil into the pan, add sugar and fry the berries in all this (do not let them burn, remember!).
Rice is served sprinkled with nuts and barberry.