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–+ servings
Amrita de Soyza

Festive Yellow Rice

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: South Asian - Sri Lankan
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Long grained rice: Basmati or Jasmine rice Wash (rinse) at least three times
  • 1 - 1½ tbsp Butter
  • 2 Pods Cardamom Crushed to open the pod
  • 2 inch Ceylon Cinnamon Do not use Cassia cinnamon
  • 10-14 leaves Curry leaf
  • 2 inches Pandanus leaf Cut into 1-inch segments
  • 10 seeds Black peppercorn
  • ½ inch Ginger Grated or chopped thin
  • 4 cloves Garlic Peeled and sliced thin
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1/2 Onion (medium) Sliced
  • 2 tbsp Coconut powder Mixed into 1/2 cup water; alternatively use canned coconut milk
  • 1½ - 1⅔ cups Water
  • ¾ tsp Salt
Topping
  • 1 cup Frozen peas or frozen peas and carrots Thaw before use
  • ½ cup Lightly salted cashews
  • ⅕ tsp Cumin seed
  • 2 Eggs, hard boiled, peeled and quartered
  • ½ cup Dried cranberries (or dried raisins)
  • 1 tbsp Butter

Equipment

  • Pot with lid

Method
 

Cooking the rice
  1. Wash (rinse) the rice 3 - 4 times until the water is clear and drain the water off.
  2. Put the butter in a pot and heat at a high-medium temperature until the butter melts. Add the sliced onion, cardamom, cinnamon, curry leaves, pandanus leaf, black peppercorn and sauté for until the onion starts to brown. Stir.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric powder and stir and saute another 2 minutes. If the onion starts to get crispy add another ½ tablespoon butter and reduce the temperature to medium.
  4. Add the washed and drained rice. Stir briefly to coat rice with ingredients in the pot.
  5. Add salt, all the coconut milk, and 1½ cups of water. If you are cooking at a higher altitude you may need to add a little more water. Cover the pot with its lid.
  6. Bring the rice to a boil and then reduce the temperature to medium-low. Open the lid slightly so the water does not boil and spill over.
Prepare the topping
  1. While waiting for the rice to finish cooking, heat the butter on medium heat in a pan. When melted add the thawed carrots & peas, cumin seed and cranberries and sauté for ~5 minutes.
Assemble the Yellow Rice
  1. Remove the pandanus leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks from the rice and discard (they should be on top of the rice). Leave the curry leaves in the rice - they are edible and healthy to consume.
  2. Carefully (avoid damaging the grains of rice) transfer the rice to a serving platter.
  3. Spread the sautéd topping on top of the rice. Similarly sprinkle the cashews on top. Garnish with the quartered eggs and serve!
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