Indian Desserts Recipes Halwa Kheer with Condensed Mild Pistachio Recipes Easy for Diwali Menu : Indian Rice Indian Desserts Recipes Halwa Kheer With Condensed Mild Pistachio Recipes Easy For Diwali Menu Pictures

Indian Rice Biography

Source(google.com.pk)
The blessing of a well stocked pantry is that so many more dishes are available to you at the spur of the moment. There are a few ingredients in this classic Indian style rice that you may not have in your cupboard, but I suggest that they would be excellent additions if you don’t already have them. Cardamom pods are expensive, but they pretty much last forever. Ground cardamom will get flat after a year or so, but the cardamom seeds seem to keep for years within the pods. Mustard seeds are tiny, but they pack a punch. I have an Indian friend who used to make dinner for me when I lived in San Francisco; he would often toss a few mustard seeds into whatever he was making to give it a lift. (Try adding some to lentils.) Most of us have ground cumin, but as with other ground spices, ground cumin will go flat. The whole seeds last longer. Besides, cumin is better when the seeds are toasted first. Turmeric is what gives this rice its vibrant yellow color. Not only does turmeric have plenty of health benefits, it’s the primary ingredient in yellow curry powder.
Now, about the rice. Please make it. This rice was one of those OMG food epiphanies for me. As in, “this is so easy and so incredibly good, why haven’t I been making it my whole life?” Seriously. We made this for an upcoming chicken dish and thank goodness we made a big batch. The technique for making the rice is different from how I usually make rice. In this case you boil the rice in more water than the rice can absorb, and then drain the water from the rice when it’s done. The rice is boiled with the cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cloves, so it soaks up those flavors while it’s cooking. Then it is tossed with sautéed spices and onions.

2 cups long-grain rice, preferably Basmati
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
One 2-inch piece of cinnamon
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (or ghee if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon dark mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Place rice in a sieve and run cool water through it to rinse it until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in cool water for 30 minutes. Drain.
2 Bring 8 cups of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and stir. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the rice, and test if it is done to your taste; rice can take more or less time to cook depending on how old it is. If still too firm, cook a few minutes longer.
3 When the rice is cooked to your liking, drain the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop if from cooking. Remove the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and discard. Set the rice aside to drain.
4 In a pan large enough to hold the rice, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and the chile flakes. Cook until the mustard seeds start popping, then add the onion. Sauté until the .

The god Shiva called rice Vrihi, in Sanskrit. India is one of the original centres of rice cultivation. The rice harvesting area in India is the world's largest. Indian rice cultivation is found in all states, but West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar are the major producing states.

The early Kharif growing season lasts from March-May to June-October; the mid-Kharif season from June-October to November-February, and the Rabi season from November-February to March-June.
About 600 improved varieties of indica rice have been released for cultivation since 1965, but Basmati rice is still planted over large areas. Rice-based production systems provide the main income and employment for more than 50 million households.

Rice is the staple food for 65% of the total population in India. The Indian population was about 1 billion people in 2000 and is still growing at a high rate (1.7% per year). Although the country exports several varieties of rice, many scientists have expressed concern that current Indian rice production techniques cannot sustain the growing domestic population. India has a large number of rice dishes and many of them are very simple to prepare. Indian pilaf rice is very flavourful and fluffy when cooked with Basmati rice.
heer is one of the India’s favorite desserts. It is rich in flavorful an Indian version of rice pudding cooked with rice, milk and sugar, flavored with cardamoms and saffron and decorated with nuts. It is an essential dish in many Hindu and Muslim feasts and celebrations. Kheer could be eaten hot or chilled, it taste excellent either way. It is a great dessert for anytime of the year and could be served in parties as a dessert. Kheer is very easy to prepare, t require only rice and milk as the main ingredients. In different part of the country kheer is prepared various way, following is the most popular and common
. In a bowl add rice and wash, changing water several times until the water
appears clear, drain all the water out.

2. Place a medium size stainless steel heavy bottom pan on the stove on medium
heat, add washed rice and 6 cups of whole milk, bring the milk and rice to boil
while stirring occasionally.
. At first milk will boil and rise up, but after few minutes it will settle down.
Reduce the heat and keep boiling the milk stirring occasionally and scraping
down the sides of the pan.
4. Kheer does not require much attention, just leave it on low heat and stir
frequently and scrape the sides of the pan so that milk does not burn from the
bottom and the sides.

5. In about 40 to 45 minutes rice will be fully cooked and become soft and the
grains are starting to break up and start blending with the milk. Once milk
reduces to one third, add sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
If kheer looks too thick then add some more milk to desired consistency. If it
looks liquidly then do not cook any longer because rice has starch and milk get
thicker once it cool down.

7. Add almonds, pistachio, saffron, cardamoms, raisins and mix and cook for
another 5 minutes, turn the stove off . Leave some nuts for garnishing.
Transfer the kheer into a serving dish, and garnish it with the remaining nuts.
9. Kheer can be served hot, warm or chilled. If like chilled then place the dish in
the refrigerator.