This pilaf is a light and quick dinner from “Chetna's 30 Minute Indian: Quick and Easy Everyday Meals” by Chetna Makan. It doesn’t need a major side with it just some pickles and yoghurt, or perhaps some dhal or potato sabji.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 200g fresh spinach, chopped (~7 oz)
• 250g basmati rice, washed (~1 cup)
• 450ml boiling water (~2 cups)

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and cook onions for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
2. In another pan, lightly toast the spices until they are aromatic and the color has changed slightly just a few seconds.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Use a pestle and mortar to blend the spices into a coarse powder.
5. Add to the onion pan with salt and chilli powder and mix through.
6. Add spinach and mix.
7. Add rice and mix through to coat in the flavours.
8. Mix the boiling water into the pan and cover and cook for exactly 15 minutes.
9. Once it is cooked, turn the heat off and leave to sit for 12-15 minutes to let the steam fluff up the rice.

This recipe flows much more smoothly if you actually do the mise en place.  No, don’t ask me what that is.  You are a grown-up.  You know how to use the internet.

Ingredients

Cumin rice

• ½ tsp black cardamom seeds (or 2 pods)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of long-grained rice
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp of ghee or oil of choice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ½ cups of water

Curry-roasted potatoes

• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon course ground pepper
• Juice of 1 small lime

Method

1. Place cardamom and cumin seeds in a tiny bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl place the rice’s ground spices.
3. In a medium-size bowl put the potatoes and olive oil.  Sprinkle in the potatoes’ ground spices.  Toss together.
4. Place the ghee in the Speedi pot on “sear/saute” level Hi5.  
5. When the ghee seems hot, pour the cumin and cardamom in.  Cook them until the cardamom or cumin becomes fragrant, or the cumin starts to brown just a bit, whichever comes first.  I usually keep my eyes open for where the ghee puddles to place the spices, not on the most ghee-less spots.  That way the flavors meld into the ghee.
6. Place the rice’s ground spices into the pot.  Mix and cook for a minute.
7. Pour in the rice and stir until all the rice is covered with ghee.  
8. Add the bay leaves and water.
9. Add the crisper tray try to the upper level.  Pour the potatoes onto the tray in an even layer.
10. Lower the lid and continue to cook at the same setting for 13 minutes.
11. Turn off the Speedi.  Turn it on again.  Set it to “bake/roast” at 390°F for 11 minutes.
12. Turn off and and put in serving dishes.  Squeeze the juice of the lime over the potatoes.

Note

Next time add 1 cup of raisins to the rice while it’s cooking, and use 1 tbsp of curry powder with the potatoes.  Consider also adding half a cup of shredded carrots to the rice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of long-grain rice
• 2 and 1/2 cups of water
• 2 teaspons of "Better than Bouillon" brand chicken or mushroom base
• 3 medium-size potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or, what the heck 2 tablespoons
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Dry chives
• Dry thyme

Method

1. Place rice, water and bouillon base in the pot.
2. In a separate bowl toss together the potatoes, olive oil, and the spices.  I mostly don't measure.  For your first try a teaspon of garlic powder and half a teaspoon of the other spices.  After making this recipe several times, your self-respect will grow and you will mock the precise directions, thinking, "Hah, as if I really needed that beginner advice !
3. Place crisper in upper position.  Place potatoes on crisper.
4. Close the cover and set the Speedi to "saute/sear" for 13 minutes.  Don't bother to warm up.  You will need a separate timer; there is no auto-shutoff for this function.  Start.
5. Set the Speedi to "bake/roast" for 11 minutes at 390°.  Start. 

Notes

Potatoes and rice were both perfect.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of long-grain rice
• 2 and 1/2 cups of water
• 2 teaspons of "Better than Bouillon" brand mushroom base
• 3 medium-size potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or, what the heck 2 tablespoons
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Dry chives
• Dry thyme

Method

1. Place rice, water and mushroom base in the pot.
2. In a separate bowl toss together the potatoes, olive oil, and the spices.  I mostly don't measure.  For your first try a teaspon of garlic powder and half a teaspoon of the other spices.  After making this recipe several times, your self-respect will grow and you will mock the precise directions, thinking, "Hah, as if I really needed that beginner advice !
3. Place crisper in upper position.  
4. Close the cover and set the Speedi to "steam/bake" for 8 minutes.  It'll take probably 20 minutes for it just to go through the "steam" phase.

Notes

I'm cooking this right now, and my house smells like heaven.

This almost turned out right:  the rice was just a bit overcooked on the bottom and didn't come loose as nicely as one would want.  Next time instead of "steam/bake" I'll try 10 minutes on "sear/saute" and then 8 minutes on "bake/roast."

Attempt 2

Changes:

• 2 cups of water
• 10 minutes on "sear/saute" Hi5 with the lid closed
• 8 1/2 minutes on "bake/roast" at 390°

Result

Rice was edible but slightly underdone, and potatoes were slightly underdone.  Next time around I should try 2.5 cups of water, 13 minutes on sear/saute, and then 9 minutes on bake/roast.

Attempt 3

Changes:

• 2.5 cups of water
• 13 minutes on "sear/saute" Hi5 with the lid closed
• 9 minutes on "bake/roast" at 390°

Result

Rice was perfect, and potatoes were slightly underdone.  Next time around I should try 2.5 cups of water, 13 minutes on sear/saute, and then 11 minutes on bake/roast. There is some question in my mind whether I should raise it to 2.75 cups of water.

Attempt 4

Changes:

• 2.5 cups of water
• 13 minutes on "sear/saute" Hi5 with the lid closed
• 11 minutes on "bake/roast" at 390°

Result

Potatoes and rice were both perfect.

This approach comes from Sirkristof's suggestion in a Reddit discussion of making rice in the Speedi/Foodi ( source and discussion of variations ), although, truth to tell, it's exactly the same way my mother always used to cook rice on the stovetop.

• Remove tray from Speedi
• Pour 1 cup of long-grain enriched rice in pot
• Pour 2 cups of water in pot
• Put Speedi on steam setting for ten minutes

Obvious variations:

• Add a quarter teaspoon of salt at cooking time; or
• use broth or bouillion instead of water.

And the other obvious stuff:

• If you use a different type of rice, the time and water content may need to be adjusted.
• You may also have to adjust time or water content according to elevation.  I'm cooking at about 1200 feet above sea level.

1 cup of rice
2 cups of water
1 kielbasa, sliced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup.  Then shake the remaining bits out using half a can of water

Set 10 minutes on the steam setting.

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2023-08-27:  This time I wanted to try to get the kielbasa browned a bit, so I used the steam and bake setting using 5 minutes at 390° with 2.5 cups of water.  Turned out well.  Next time I'll try either a longer time or a higher temp to see if I can get it more brown.

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2023-09-14:  This time I wanted to try to get the kielbasa browned a bit, so I used the steam and bake setting using 6 minutes at 390° with 2.5 cups of water.  

1. Put 2.5 cups of water, 1 cup of rice, a handful of canned jalapeño slices, and one can of cream of mushroom soup in pot.
2. Fill the can half full of water and give it a good shake to get the stuff off the sides.  Pour into pot.
3. Put tray in upper position.  Slice kielbasa into rounds and arrange in a single layer on the tray.
4. Use the steam and bake setting for 6 minutes at 390°. 

Results:  I really liked the browning on the kielbasa.  The rice was pretty sticky on the bottom of the pot, so I scraped it up right away.  The texture of the rice surprised me.  I should try this again next time but add the soup/water at the end to see if I like that better.

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2023-09-16:  This time I wanted to try to adding the soup at the end.

1. Put 2.5 cups of water and 1 cup of rice in pot.
2. Put tray in upper position.  Slice kielbasa into rounds and arrange in a single layer on the tray.
3. Use the steam and bake setting for 6 minutes at 390°. 
4. Remove kielbasa to a bowl.
5. Add mushroom soup to rice.  Fill the can half full of water.  Shake to get the rest of the soup loose.  Add to rice.  Mix.

Results:  I like the creamy consistency of the rice better this way, but when you add the soup mix, of course, it cools the rice off.  I should do two more experiments.  1.  Heat the soup and water in the microwave and then add to rice at the end.  2.  Start with rice, 3 cups of water, soup and half a can of water.

 

Ingredients

• 1 Pomegranate
• 2 Cups Rice
• 1 lb (454g) Chicken Drumsticks
• 1 oz (28g) Cilantro
• 1/2 Cup Raisins
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Pistachios
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tsp Saffron
• Turmeric
• Salt

Preparations

1. Soak the rice in water and 1 tbsp salt for 4 hours.
2. Deseed the pomegranate
3. Mince the cilantro.
4. Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp water for 20 minutes.

Directions

1. Transfer the drumsticks onto a small pot.
2. Add as much turmeric and salt as you would prefer.
3. Add enough water to cover the drumsticks.
4. Cover the pot with a lid (leave a crack open), simmer for 40 minutes or until cooked.
5. Boil the soaked rice for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat or until tender.
6. Transfer the cooked chicken drumsticks over to a large bowl.
7. Debone and shred the drumsticks.
8. Stir in pomegranate, raisins, cilantro, and ground coriander seeds.
9. Drain the rice.
10. Remove half of the rice from the pot.
11. Stir in one tablespoon vegetable oil.
12. Add the chicken mixture over the rice and cover with the half (rest) of the rice.
13. Combine a tablespoon vegetable oil with one tablespoon water and add to the rice.
14. Cover the pot with a napkin and a lid.
15. Over medium heat, cook the rice for 30 minutes.
16. Remove the napkin, pour the saffron over the rice and place the lid back on the pot.
17. Continue heating for another 5 minutes.

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2018-09-15: first attempt

Okay, there is a lot about this recipe that sounds ridiculous. First off, why the hell would you soak rice for five hours? My rise is usually done in 20 minutes. So here's what I did differently.

Rice: I cooked it via my regular 20 minute route with a scant teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder in it. Plus I'm thinking this should be not two cups of raw rice, but two cups of cooked rice. Next time: a tablespoon.

The store had no sliced pistachios. I used half a cup of sliced almonds instead of a quarter cup of sliced pistachios.

I used 2 lbs of drum sticks. I used 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of salt. Next time probably a tbsp of turmeric would be better.

I skipped the cilantro, of course. It's the herb of the antichrist.

Once I added the chicken to the rice, I cooked it on low for 25 minutes. Once I added the saffron water, I cooked another 5 minutes.

I have the feeling that the purpose of the later cooking is to partially dry out the rice and separate it. If so, my approach failed.

On the whole the result was entirely edible. I look foerward to improving it next time.

Haven't tried this yet.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups (1 lb / 453g) Rice
• 8 oz (227g) Stew Beef
• 1/2 Cup (3.5 oz / 100g) Lentils
• 4.5 oz (127g) Cabbage
• 1 Bunch (2 oz / 57g) Parsley
• 1 Bunch (2 oz / 57g) Cilantro
• 1 Bunch (1 oz / 28g) Leek
• 1 Small Onion
• Vegetable Oil
• Turmeric
• Salt

Pre-preparation

1. Soak the rice in water and 1/2 Tbsp Salt for 2 hours.
2. Dice the Onion and cabbage.
3. Mince the herbs (parsley, cilantro, leek).

Method

1. Place the lentils in a small pot.
2. Add salt (Approx. 1 Tsp) and enough water to cover the lentils in one inch deep.
3. Cover with a lid (leave a crack open), and simmer for 25 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Meanwhile, fry the dice onion with vegetable oil until translucent.
5. Stir in turmeric.
6. Add stew beef and stir to mix. Continue the heat for 10 more minutes until the beef turns brown.
7. Add water and a pinch of salt.
8. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.
9. Fry the diced cabbage in a separate bowl for 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the minced parsley, cilantro and leek to the pot and continue frying for 5 more minutes.
11. Simmer the rice for 10 minutes until tender.
12. Drain the rice and rinse with cold water.
13. Add the beefs and lentils to the cabbage and herb mixture and stir thoroughly.
14. Transfer 2/3 of the rice out of the pot to a container.
15. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
16. Add a layer of the mixture and top with a layer of the rice (1/3) from the container.
17. Repeat step 16 until all the ingredients are added to the pot.
18. Pour another tbsp of vegetable oil on top.
19. Cover the pot with a napkin and a lid.
20. Cook the rice for 20 minutes (over medium-low heat).
21. Stir before serving.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

2 boneless / skinless chicken breasts
1 cup white rice
1 can Cream of Celery soup
2 soup cans of water
1 pkt French onion packet soup mix
2 onions chopped roughly
salt and pepper to taste

In the oven for two hours at 320°.

Notes: the French onion soup Nicko used was a Continental French Onion cup of soup packet. We didn't have that at the store, so I bought Lipton Beefy Onion instead. Each packet is meant to be combined with 4 cups of water, so I'm hoping the tastes won't be too strong with the substitution.

When my father's home was sold, I inherited the family pressure cooker. Tried to use it. Problem: the rubber seal on the inner ring is gone. Cooking didn't work. Ordered one on the internet. Installed it. So today I decided to try it out on brown rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

I filled the pressure cooker with just a bit of water, barely less than the height of the trivet that fills it. Made aluminum foil handles to pick up the dish. Filled a glass dish with two cups of chicken broth and one cup of brown rice. Placed the dish in the pressure cooker and sealed it. Put it on the stove without the rocker on top until I saw steam coming out. Put the rocker on. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime I browned some onions in some olive oil. When the onions were starting to turn brown, I threw some cumin over the top and mixed it in. Then I threw in 5 cloves of minced garlic. Let them cook about a minute. Removed from heat.

When the timer rang, I removed the rice and drained it in a collander. Mixed the rice with the onion mixture. This tasted okay. I like the texture a lot more than regular rice.

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For next time:

• Next time I'll let the rice cook 20 minutes.
• I used the natural release method. When you do that, you really need to allow all the pressure to release by itself. I let it open a bit too early, and some steam & rice splattered.
• Next time I'll brown the onions a bit more.
• Next time I'll add serranos to the onion mixture.