(Saffron Rice and Chicken Casserole, page 81) is probably the most famous of these rice dishes in the West.
The best variety of rice to use in savory dishes is basmati , which translates as “the fragrant one.” If you can’t get your hands on authentic Indian rice, it’s okay to experiment with various kinds that are found at the supermarket.
toasted cumin chapatis with orange
Serves 4
Preparation 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes (dough rest)
Cooking 10 minutes
This is by far the simplest Indian bread to make, and is the most common form of bread; it’s made every day in northern Indian homes from rural villages to modern Indian cities. It is made with atta, which is wheat flour. The beauty of this dough is that is can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated, and kept for future use. Use it as a wrap with any filling of your choice for your lunch box the next day.
2 cups (270 g) whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup (250 ml) water, or more as needed
½ cup (100 g) clarified butter
1 Toast the cumin in a medium pan over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
2 Sift the whole wheat flour and salt into a bowl. Add the cumin and orange zest, and then mix well. Make a well in the center. Add the water, and mix until the flour is completely incorporated to form soft dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes. (This resting period makes the chapatis soft and fluffier.)
3 Heat a griddle pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time and keeping the rest covered, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to a 6-in (15-cm) circle. Remove the excess surface flour prior to cooking.
4 Place each rolled bread on the griddle, leave it to brown, about 7 to 10 seconds. Turn it over to brown on the other side, about 12 to 15 seconds. Turn over and smear the hot bread with clarified butter. Serve hot.
saffron rice with toasted almonds
Serves 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 15 minutes
Although saffron is an expensive ingredient, it is very often used in traditional Indian cooking because of the wonderful flavor and color that it imparts to the dish. For this preparation, you can use some or all of the spices mentioned in the recipe. Serve this with Spice Stuffed Okra (page 100) and Cannellini Dal Fry (page 86).
½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ cup (65 ml) warm milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup (200 g) uncooked basmati rice, washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garam masala
½ cup (50 g) sliced almonds, toasted
1 Soak the saffron in the milk for about 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat and sauté the ginger, cumin, cardamom and black peppercorns, about 1 minute. Add the rice and water, season it with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to lowest setting, cover the pan (partially at first, until the foam subsides, then snugly), and cook until the rice is almost done, 8 to 10 minutes.
2 Uncover the pan, sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice, then cover the pan and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Do not stir the rice while it's cooking.
3 Serve hot, sprinkled with garam masala and toasted almonds.
rosemary lemon rice
Serves 6
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 15 minutes
Lemon rice is a very popular everyday dish in southern India. Rosemary, however, isn’t a very popular ingredient in India, and is largely unavailable. I have combined these two flavors as they marry fantastically with one another. Serve it with a portion of Cardamom Chicken (page 43) and Green Cabbage with Lentils (page
The best variety of rice to use in savory dishes is basmati , which translates as “the fragrant one.” If you can’t get your hands on authentic Indian rice, it’s okay to experiment with various kinds that are found at the supermarket.
toasted cumin chapatis with orange
Serves 4
Preparation 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes (dough rest)
Cooking 10 minutes
This is by far the simplest Indian bread to make, and is the most common form of bread; it’s made every day in northern Indian homes from rural villages to modern Indian cities. It is made with atta, which is wheat flour. The beauty of this dough is that is can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated, and kept for future use. Use it as a wrap with any filling of your choice for your lunch box the next day.
2 cups (270 g) whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup (250 ml) water, or more as needed
½ cup (100 g) clarified butter
1 Toast the cumin in a medium pan over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
2 Sift the whole wheat flour and salt into a bowl. Add the cumin and orange zest, and then mix well. Make a well in the center. Add the water, and mix until the flour is completely incorporated to form soft dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes. (This resting period makes the chapatis soft and fluffier.)
3 Heat a griddle pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time and keeping the rest covered, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to a 6-in (15-cm) circle. Remove the excess surface flour prior to cooking.
4 Place each rolled bread on the griddle, leave it to brown, about 7 to 10 seconds. Turn it over to brown on the other side, about 12 to 15 seconds. Turn over and smear the hot bread with clarified butter. Serve hot.
saffron rice with toasted almonds
Serves 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 15 minutes
Although saffron is an expensive ingredient, it is very often used in traditional Indian cooking because of the wonderful flavor and color that it imparts to the dish. For this preparation, you can use some or all of the spices mentioned in the recipe. Serve this with Spice Stuffed Okra (page 100) and Cannellini Dal Fry (page 86).
½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ cup (65 ml) warm milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup (200 g) uncooked basmati rice, washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garam masala
½ cup (50 g) sliced almonds, toasted
1 Soak the saffron in the milk for about 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat and sauté the ginger, cumin, cardamom and black peppercorns, about 1 minute. Add the rice and water, season it with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to lowest setting, cover the pan (partially at first, until the foam subsides, then snugly), and cook until the rice is almost done, 8 to 10 minutes.
2 Uncover the pan, sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice, then cover the pan and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Do not stir the rice while it's cooking.
3 Serve hot, sprinkled with garam masala and toasted almonds.
rosemary lemon rice
Serves 6
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 15 minutes
Lemon rice is a very popular everyday dish in southern India. Rosemary, however, isn’t a very popular ingredient in India, and is largely unavailable. I have combined these two flavors as they marry fantastically with one another. Serve it with a portion of Cardamom Chicken (page 43) and Green Cabbage with Lentils (page
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