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Simple Rice Pilaf

This is exactly what the name suggests. We cooked this rice today morning when we had a curry left over from last night, but did not have bread or rice to go with it. So I made this quick lightly spiced rice in a jiffy before we both left for work. It is a kid friendly dish  because it is very lightly flavored and if your kids like cashew-nuts and raisins, they sure will enjoy this rice.

Butter/Ghee – 2 tsp

Onion – 1/2, thinly sliced

Unsalted cashewnuts – 1 T

Golden Raisins – 1 T

Cloves – 3

Bay leaf – 1

Cardamom – 2 whole pods

Cinnamon – 1/4 inch stick

Basmati rice – 1.5 cups

Water – 3 cups

Salt to taste

• In a dutch oven or pressure cooker, heat butter and when it melts completely, add the onions
• Saute until the onions caramelize ( this takes about 8-10 minutes)
• As soon as the onions caramelize, add cashew nuts and raisins and saute for a minute
• Take it off the pan and place it in a bowl
• In the same dutch oven ( see if you need more butter), add all the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds
• Add rice and stir well. Stir in the water and salt.
• Check for seasonings and allow the water to come to a boil
• Reduce to simmer and close it with a lid
• Cook for 12- 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked
• Fold in the caramelized onions, raisins and cashew nuts and serve warm.

Our intention was to have this with the spicy mushroom curry we made last night. But I personally liked the delicate flavors of the rice so much, that I ate the rice first all by itself savoring every spoonful and then had the mushroom curry. The recipe for curry coming up next

Variations:  You can add peas and carrots to this as well.