Indian Red Rice Pulao

Sometimes I feel like mentally flogging myself for not going with my gut instinct when it first urges me to do something, and on occasion, it really comes back to slap me good. Like seeing some ultra-bargain in any random store and thinking ‘Wow, I should get some of that.’ – insert any item into this scenario- household goods, clothing, shoes, books….you name it and I’m sure I have seen it on sale somewhere- only I stupidly pass it by, foregoing the finest selection of said item, only to hear about this great deal happening a day or two later upon which I return to claim my share only to find…..empty shelves, too small sizes or any number of other maladies sure to invoke a manic case of ’sad face’. The one thing I don’t pass by when spotting a bargain is food items. I have stockpiled our favorite bread when it’s super cheap, piling 10-12 loaves in my cart for the chest freezer; I will purchase certain cuts of meat if it’s a good deal, then devise menus to utilize it. I always scan the close-out shelves too. Who knows what you’ll find? A price cut on pasta? I’m there! With the way food prices are these days, a bargain at the grocer is not one to ignore.

Part of me wishes I had snapped up Robin Asbell’s cookbook the first time I saw it, as every thing I have made from this book is figuratively blowing the top of my head off in flavors, textures and ease. I could have been delighting in it for months now! But I didn’t, so I need to make up for lost time.

Spring has finally arrived in MN, and with it, the warmth and sunshine. My grill beckons and I have the need to find a side dish worthy of two major attributes; it could be considered a meal for my veggie loving spouse so that the grilled meat item isn’t filling the prime spot on the plate, and of course, it should be simple enough to keep me sane. Futzy stuff is out. When the sun is bearing down on my pallid winter skin, the last thing I want to be doing is futzing in the kitchen. With bags upon bags of grains spilling out of my cupboards and freezer, I turned, once again and with eagerness, to Robin.

And again, with one bite, there went the top of my head. This rice dish is so fragrant, colorful, delicious and unique that I almost tossed my perfectly grilled boneless pork chop onto Griffin’s plate in order to fully indulge in it’s burnished delights; tender rice, chewy currants and pillowy chunks of cauliflower. Alongside stalks of gently steamed, tender asparagus, it made for such a lovely plate too, with it’s vibrant and sparkling color.

I suppose I should have allowed Griffin to indulge fully in the pork; he was so excited to see it, and the asparagus that he was nearly dancing around the kitchen in delight, but I do love me some delicious, grilled meat, even with this rice dish being so tempting. Maybe another time…..

Thank goodness for leftovers too!

(jump for recipe and notes)

Indian Red Rice Pulao with Pistachios
From The New Whole Grains Cookbook by Robin Asbell

1 T. canola oil or ghee
1 T. chopped ginger
1 T. brown mustard seeds
1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground turmeric
1 c. red rice or brown basmati rice
2 c. water
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
2 c. cauliflower florets
1/2 c. currants
2 T. lemon juice
2 large scallions, slivered
1/2 c. shelled pistachios or toasted slivered almonds

In a 2-qt saucepan, heat oil briefly and add ginger and mustard seed. When ginger is fragrant and seeds are popping slightly, add chili powder and turmeric and cook for a few seconds. Add rice, water, carrot, brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and set a timer for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, quickly put cauliflower and currants on top of rice, cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove pan from burner and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and serve topped with scallions and pistachios.

KATE’S NOTES: I used a combination of red and brown basmati rice for this dish and it was terrific. I felt that the finished dish was a little sweet; next time I think I will cut back on the brown sugar and maybe add less currants. By the time I added the cauliflower, all the water in the pan had been absorbed, so I poured in more, and it ended up cooking for a while longer than listed in the recipe, but it wasn’t a huge issue. The carrot, being small and thin had just about fallen apart by the time it was all done. Overall, it was a phenomenally flavored dish and I can’t wait to make it again.