Spiced Indian Basmati Rice

I won't be writing a "The Week in Review" this week, as I haven't had time to review anything! My Google Reader is chock full of what I can only assume is great writing, photography and food, but I haven't had a chance to even peek at it all week! Instead, I'm going to write about Indian food again, like I promised last week. Better late than never, I always say. :-)

This is my family's go-to rice for Indian food. It has plenty of flavor on its own, and even my daughter, whose spice-o-meter is set to low, loves the deep flavor of the basmati rice, Indian spices and aromatics. Although it's easy to make, it does take some time, so plan ahead. It's also very forgiving--no worries if you're missing an ingredient...just forge ahead! Or if you happen to have some extra peas laying around, add them. We serve this with every Indian dish we make.

Spiced Basmati Rice
from Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey

2 cups basmati rice
3 Tbl vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh, hot green chili (such as a jalepeño), minced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp garam masala (You can make your own, but we get ours from Penzey's.)
1 tsp salt
2 2/3 cups chicken stock

Place the rice in a bowl. Wash it in several changes of water, until the water runs clear. Cover with plenty of fresh water and let it soak for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and let it sit for 20 more minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with lid over medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring often, until the onion has browned lightly. Add the rice, chili, garlic, garam masala and salt. Stir gently for about 4 minutes. If the rice begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, turn down the heat slightly. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover with a tightly-fitted lid, turn the heat to very low and cook for 25 minutes.

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