If you are tired of eating plain white rice, try flavoring it with curry: a blend of spices with an intense and exotic taste. This recipe contains all the necessary information even for those who have never prepared a dish of rice before. The basic steps are very simple: you will have to prepare a quick sauté, toast the rice briefly and then add the water and let it cook until it becomes soft. By making a few slight changes you will have the opportunity to experiment with different variations of the recipe, starting with an appetizing fried rice.
Ingrediants
Classic Curry Rice
- 450 g of raw basmati rice
- 1 white or golden onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons of curry powder (not spicy)
- Salt to taste
- 850-1,000 ml of water
Fried Curry Rice
- 1 kg of boiled basmati rice
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of seed oil
- 6 shallots, chopped
- 2 tsp curry powder (not spicy)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Variations of the Classic Recipe
- 200 g of diced tomatoes
- 1 eggplant, cut into slices
- 200 g of okra (with the pods deprived of the stalks)
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 480 ml of coconut milk
- 75 g of raisins
- 35 g of flaked almonds
- Chilli to taste
- Garam masala
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make Classic Curry Rice
Step 1. Heat the oil in a pan
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large, thick-bottomed pan, then heat it over medium-high heat. Wait until it is hot before continuing.
Step 2. Saute garlic and onion
Transfer them to the pan after having finely chopped them. The oil should start to sizzle immediately. If not, turn up the heat.
Fry the two ingredients until soft. Depending on the degree of heat, this should take about five minutes. Try to distribute them in a single even layer and stir every minute or so to speed up the cooking time
Step 3. Pour the uncooked rice and curry powder into the pot
Wait to add the water; first toast the rice in the oil. Spread the ingredients evenly across the bottom of the pan and let them cook for a few minutes, stirring often. When the rice has acquired a pearly white color, you can move on to the next step.
This technique of pre-cooking rice in oil is called "toasting" of rice. It is used to give a nutty aftertaste to the dish and according to some experts it allows to reduce the cooking time
Step 4. Add water and salt
Mix the ingredients to blend them. If the pan isn't large enough to hold the water, transfer the contents to a large broth pot.
Step 5. Bring the water to a boil
Turn up the heat and let the rice cook in the uncovered pot without stirring. Check it frequently to monitor the doneness.
The water will evaporate gradually. At some point on the surface the rice will be almost dry and small craters will have formed from which you will see the steam escape (usually after 8-10 minutes). It is a sign that indicates to move on to the next point
Step 6. Reduce the heat to low
Close the pot with the lid, set the stove to the lowest possible heat, and let the rice simmer for another 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid and do not stir until the kitchen timer rings.
Step 7. Stir and serve
After letting it simmer, the rice will finally be ready. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the lid. Before serving the rice on the table, let it rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to cool slightly and absorb the remaining water. Just before putting it on the plates, crumble it by mixing it with the back of the fork to make it more voluminous. Prepare portions with a spoon and serve them to the table.
If there is a lot of water left, put the pot back on the stove. Extend the cooking using a low heat and check the rice every five minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated
Method 2 of 3: Make Fried Curry Rice
Step 1. Cook the basmati rice as you normally do
For this recipe you will need to use rice already cooked in boiling water. If you don't know how to do this, follow the directions of the first method of the article ignoring the vegetables and curry. In other words:
- Pour 450 g of uncooked rice into a liter of water in a large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil;
- Let the rice cook until the surface is almost dry and small craters have formed from which you will see the steam escape. At that point, turn the heat down to a minimum;
- Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes;
- When the timer goes off, remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid and let the rice rest for five minutes before continuing with the preparation of the recipe.
Step 2. Heat the oil in the pan
You will need a large, thick-bottomed one with a non-stick coating. Put it on medium-high heat and wait a couple of minutes to make sure the oil is hot.
Step 3. Add the beaten egg
Break an egg and pour the yolk and egg white into a small bowl. Beat them with a fork until they are combined. At that point, pour the mixture into the hot pan and swirl it gently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. When the egg has solidified, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
Step 4. Saute the shallots and curry powder
Pour the two ingredients into the pan in which you cooked the egg. If it seems necessary, you can add a little oil to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Season with pepper and stir frequently until the shallots have softened. This will take about five minutes.
If you don't have shallots at home, you can replace them with white or golden onion
Step 5. Add the cooked rice
Stir again to mix the ingredients in the pan. Spread them in a thin, even layer, then let them cook for about three minutes, stirring only once.
Step 6. Add the egg
Return it to the pan and mix to break it into small pieces, so that it blends with the other ingredients. Season to taste with salt.
Step 7. Complete the dish with a drizzle of sesame oil and serve it to the table
When there is one minute left to cook, pour a little sesame oil into the pan to make the rice even more golden and crunchy. Add no more than 1-2 teaspoons and mix thoroughly to distribute evenly. Let the rice fry for 30 to 60 seconds before removing the pan from the heat. Finally prepare the portions with a spoon and serve it on the table. Remember that it is best eaten while it is still hot.
Method 3 of 3: Possible Variations of the Classic Recipe
Step 1. Add some vegetables to make the dish more complete
Curry rice is a versatile recipe that leaves room for several tasty variations. For example, it is very easy to add your favorite vegetables to create a kind of vegetarian paella. All you have to do is cut them into small pieces and pour them into the pan at the beginning of preparation, along with the onion and garlic. Then proceed normally with the rest of the steps. Remember that vegetables that have a very firm texture, such as carrots and broccoli, require longer cooking, so it is best to pan them a few minutes before garlic and onions.
Tomatoes, eggplant and okra appear on the ingredients list because they match very well with the taste of curry and also cook quickly. The fact remains that you can use the vegetables you prefer, give space to creativity
Step 2. Add some paprika to give the rice a smoky touch
Paprika is an excellent spice for this dish because its smoky and fragrant taste complements that of curry perfectly. Try adding 1-2 teaspoons, at the same time as the curry, so that the flavors blend together. Alternatively, since paprika has a nice deep orange color, you can sprinkle it on ready meals to make them even more appetizing.
Step 3. Add an exotic note with coconut milk
It is a very common ingredient in curry preparations because with its sweet and delicate taste it is able to harmonize the flavors in the best possible way. Try replacing half of the water with coconut milk when adding the liquid to the rice to add an exotic note to the dish. If you want the texture or taste to be more delicate, you can only substitute a quarter of the water with coconut milk.
Step 4. Add raisins and flaked almonds to give the recipe a Middle Eastern twist
Many traditional dishes from Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisine include almonds and raisins. Sometimes cashews cut in half are used instead of almond flakes. If you're not used to combining sweet and savory flavors, it might seem like an unusual pairing, but it's really delicious for palates accustomed to these combinations. To add these flavors to the dish:
- Pour the raisins into the rice before adding the water;
- Stir in the almond flakes before serving the rice.
Step 5. Use the chili pepper to add a spicy touch to the dish
The recipes in the article are not particularly tasty. If you love strong and pungent flavors, simply add some classic or cayenne pepper. Put them in a pan with the curry to give an intense and spicy note to the dish.
If you accidentally used too much chili, try adding some plain Greek yogurt when the rice is cooked to neutralize the spiciness. Alternatively, you can dilute the flavor by simply adding more rice
Advice
- You can cook rice using a rice cooker or pressure cooker. In both cases, follow the instructions given in the instruction manual. Read wikiHow articles about using the rice cooker and pressure cooker to learn more.
- Consider replacing the water with vegetable or meat broth to add flavor to the dish. If you are on a low sodium diet, you can use half water and half broth.
