Tiscali Lifestyle Food and Drink

The word basmati is a compound word constructed using two Sanskrit words. Bas means fragrance and mati means friend. You get no points for guessing that basmati rice is so called because it is one of the most fragrant varieties of rice in the world.

Unfortunately, most brands of basmati rice sold in England contain grains which have been polished so much that most of the fragrance is lost. The fragrance is contained in a thin coating between the outer husk and the actual white grain. Leaving this layer on the grain gives it brownish colour rather than the more saleable white. So if you like the smell of Basmati choose a brand which has grains of a brown rather than white colour.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

2 mugs basmati rice
5 button mushrooms
2 oz pine nuts
1 onion
4-5 bay leaves
6-7 large brown cardamoms
3 sticks cinnamon
10 cloves
5 tbsp cooking oil
Salt

Method

Peel and roughly chop the onion. Slice the mushrooms.

Heat the cooking oil until it starts to smoke. Add onion and fry until it becomes deep golden brown. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the dry rice and stir for four minutes. Some of the grains of rice will turn off-white in colour. Add the mushrooms, pine nuts and salt, and stir for another minute or so. Add four mugs of water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat so that rice simmers slowly.

Cover the pan and leave. Don't stir. Check every four or five minutes. If you can hear water bubbling then the rice is not done. But once all the water has boiled off, the rice is done.

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