Monday, May 15, 2006

Indian Rice and Potatoes

Obviously, if you dig through my archives, you'll find that I am a huge fan of Indian food. I love the combination of spices, and the whole "comfort food" aspect of it. I've loved it since I was a little girl, and had my first Indian meal at a restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya. Since then, I've been in love.

This is a fabulous dish, whether it's your main dish or your side dish. It combines two of my most favorite things to cook with, rice and potatoes, and is so amazingly spiced. Although the ingredient list seems long and fiddly, the entire recipe takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. Serve with fresh lime wedges, and enjoy the flavors.

Indian Rice and Potatoes

Indian Rice and Potatoes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
3 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c dried coconut*
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp oil
1 cup rice
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lime juice
2 cups water
1/2 c frozen peas
1 tbsp butter

Combine yogurt, cilantro, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and coconut. Add potatoes, stir well, and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Heat oil in large pan, and add cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until cumin turns brown. Add potato and yogurt mixture, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once potatoes are nicely browned, add rice, and cook for another minute or two. Add turmeric, brown sugar, salt, lime juice, and water. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Add peas to pot, and do not stir in. Cover with lid and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove lid, and fluff with fork. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Serve and enjoy!

*I only had the sweetened flaked coconut in my pantry, and it worked just fine.

14 comments:

Special Sauce said...

And let me just say that this rice rocks, and has one heck of an afterburn- Stuuuuuupendous!

(Even better? The cranberry orange flax cake that will be debuting here soon- just you wait. There are definite advantages in being 28's neighbor.)

Anonymous said...

I have never eaten an indian dish in my life, but this seems like an amazing one to start with!!

Anonymous said...

I swear I could have ordered this at the Taj Mahal (a local Indian restaurant) and not gotten anything better. Seriously, it's that good. I'm getting hungry for it again just looking at the picture.

Anonymous said...

I prepared this dish last nite and it was inedible. The 1 tspn cayenne made the dish far too hot. I see in today's blog you corrected the omission of the cumin seed in the ingredient list in the first posting yesterday. However, I found the dish impossible to enjoy because of the level of heat.

By the way, I am a professional chef with an ACF CWC certification level so I'm no novice cook.

Anonymous said...

I must say that I havent enjoyed rice this much in years. One of the best dishes ever. Thanks for sharing Fiber.

I especially love the cayenne pepper - If I go into labor early though, you will be in trouble!

Fiber said...

Terrell - thank you for trying this recipe. I'm sorry the amount of cayenne was too hot for your liking. However, others who have tried it so far thought it to be the perfect amount of spice.
Thanks for stopping by!

LJ - bring the baby on! I'm ready!

Fiber said...

Actually, I must say thanks to Terrell, he was correct. I went back and looked at my original scratch, and it was indeed 1/2 tsp cayenne. The recipe has been corrected!

jodi said...

Hey, I tried this last night and it was amazing. I don't do a lot of cooking with yogurt, and that was definitely the secret difference between the biryani we eat at the Indian restaurant and the stuff I usually concoct at home. Even the 11 year old who never eats my cooking seemed to enjoy it, although it was nowhere near the bland she usually prefers.

Kristin said...

O. my. god. So divine! I'm a vegan, so I threw in some soy milk and extra oil instead of yoghurt. And, in a fit of inspiration, I used sweet potatoes and left out the brown sugar. I can't wait to eat the leftovers! The spice level was perfect for my palate. I am a novice cook, but I'm an old pro when it comes to the burn!

Unknown said...

wow I really like this dish, I just need turmeric for the additional spices! thanks for this :)

steff said...

Thank you for this recipe, big thumbs up fro me and my Indian husband. Spice level was perfect for me. I used sone nice waxy salad potatoes and their firm, creaminess worked really well in this dish. Will try with mushrooms next time. Could have eaten another plate, yum!

Anonymous said...

i have made this twice the first time it came out perfectly I added a sweet potato because i had one on hand. Delicious! The second time both rice and potatoes came out on the under done side..my only thought is I did not pan fry both long enough though i did do the potatoes for 15 min. and then the rice ended up sticky and not separate.

Regardless this was still good. just not as good as the first time( beginners luck?) It will be a monthly staple dish in our house it got rave reviews from everyone. even my son who is a picky eater likes this one!

Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.

Anonymous said...

Should the rice be cooked before its put in ?

Anonymous said...

What kind of rice? And should it be soaked in water before mixing in the pot?