HOW TO COOK JASMINE AND BASMATI RICE & CUMIN SCENTED GREEN PEA PULAO - COMMENT FAIRE CUIRE LE RIZ THAÏ ET BASMATI & PULAO AU CUMIN ET PETITS POIS

Rice is a beautiful food.
It is beautiful when it grows, precision rows of sparkling green stalks shooting up to reach the hot summer sun.
It is beautiful when harvested, autumn gold sheaves piled on diked, patchwork paddies.
It is beautiful when, once threshed, it enters granary bins like a (flood) of tiny seed-pearls.
It is beautiful when cooked by a practiced hand, pure white and sweetly fragrant.
- Shizuo Tsuji

There was a Young Person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice,
she appeased them with rice
That judicious Young Person of Bantry.
- Edward Lear, English artist and writer (1812-1888)

Rice is such a marvelous staple. What makes it so indispensable and irresistible is its incredible versability, great nutritional value (contains fibers, vitamins and minerals - an important component of a balanced diet),  refined savor and the many varieties in which it comes. One cannot get tired of eating this God-given cereal as not only is it healthy, but it is also a really scrumptious comodity.

Being a big fan of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines, I am literally addicted to Basmati (grown in the Himalayas and Pakistan) and Thai jasmine rice (cultivated in Thailand, but farmed in other similarly warm and moist environments too), hence I never fail to include one or the other in my weekly menu plan. Their uniqueness and wonderfully soft texture as well as an exhalirating fragrance (aromas that are reminiscent of toasted nuts and/or popcorn) are remarkably compelling and irresistible. A real delight for the senses!

Over the course of the years, a handful of friends have asked me asked me to enlighten them on the art of preparing those exotic grains without failing and I've realised that few people know how to obtain light and tender rice which isn't mushy nor cloggy. It seems that a majority of food lovers are still clueless when it comes to cooking Basmati and Thai jasmine rice. So, because I am a generous blogger who enjoys helping others, I thought that it would be a good idea to reveal my no-fail method for steaming and creatively flavoring both rices here today. In addition, I have decided to share a fabulous recipe for Indian pulao (or pilaf) with you in this post. Hopefully, my tips will prove helpful!

Directions For The Steamed Rice
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, September 2012.

You'll need 2 quantities rice (basmati or jasmine rice) for 3 1/2 quantities water - for ex. 2 scant cups rice & 3 1/2 scant cups water (serves 4). No matter the size of the recipient, always keep a 2 : 31/2 ratio!

1. In a strainer, rince your rice well, until the water runs clear - if you don't, the rice will end up being stodgy and not fluffy at all.
2. Put together the rinced rice and water in a pan (add a little salt when cooking basmati rice).
3. Bring to the boil over high heat while stirring intermittently, then lower the heat to a very low simmer and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 12 minutes without opening the lid or stiring the rice - this would delay the entire procedure, and affect the actual time required to cook the rice as well as the rice's texture.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for another 12 minutes without opening the lid or stiring the rice.
5. Once the time's up, you can lift the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Although the rice is ready, I recommend you to let it stand for another 15 minutes in the pan (lid on & fluffed) as it'll just be perfect if you give it a few more minutes to "breathe".
Voilà it's ready!

Tips for adding life to your rice:
Now that you have learnt the basic rule for steaming your rice, you can try experimenting with spices (cumin, curcuma, cardamom, black pepper, chilli, zest, rose petals, etc... - add to the cooking water, at step 2 or fry in a bit of oil before adding the rice and water just like in the pulao recipe below) and herbs (bay leaves, tea leaves, curry leaves or kaffir lime leaves - add at the very beginning of the cooking process, at step 2 or fry in a bit of oil before adding the rice and water just like in the pulao recipe below - or fresh herbs such as cilantro - add once the rice has been cooked, at the end of step 5). They'll give this side dish a little oomph and make it even more appealing.

Another way of flavoring your rice is by substituting some of the cooking water with another liquid (coconut milk, stock, pineapple juice, tea, tamari, rose water, etc...) or by incorporating dried fruits (raisins, apricots, dates, cranberries, barberries, etc...), nuts (almonds, cashews, chestnuts, etc...) or even vegetables (peas, diced peppers, macedoine of carrots, chopped onions, pureed garlic, etc...) to the rice and water at step 2.

Be inspired and let your imagination run wild!

Méthode Pour La Cuisson Du Riz
Recette par Rosa Mayland, septembre 2012.

Il vous faut 2 quantités de riz pour 3 1/2 quantités d'eau - par ex. 2 tasses de riz et 3 1/2 tasses d'eau (pour 4 personnes). Les proportions restent les mêmes peu importe la taille du récipient!
1. Dans une passoire, rincer le riz jusqu'à ce que l'eau du lavage soit claire, puis le faire égoutter - si cette étape est négligée, alors votre riz sera collant, lourd et pâteux au lieu d'être léger et moelleux..
2. Réunir le riz avec l'eau dans une casserole (ajouter un peu de sel lors de la cuisson du riz basmati).
3. Porter à ébullition, tout en remuant de temps en temps. Dès que le riz commence à bouillir, immédiatement baisser le feu (très petit bouillons) et couvrir avec un couvercle hérmétique. Faire cuire pendant 12 minutes - sans ouvrir le couvercle ni remuer le riz autrement cela ralentirait la cuisson du riz et aurait une incidence sur le temps réel nécessaire afin qu'il soit prêt ainsi que sur sa texture.
4. Retirer la casserole du feu et laisser reposer pendant 12 minutes sans jamais ouvrir le couvercle ni remuer le riz. 
5. Une fois que les 12 minutes se sont écoulées, vous pouvez soulever le couvercle et égréner le riz avec une fourchette. Bien que le riz soit prêt, je vous recommande de la laisser encore reposer, dans la casserole fermée, pendant 15 minutes supplémentaires car de cette manière il aura quelques minutes de plus pour "respirer" et sera juste parfait. 
Voilà c'est prêt!

Astuces afin de donner plus de peps à votre riz:
Maintenant que vous avez appris la méthode de base pour cuire votre riz, vous pouvez dès lors essayer d'expérimenter avec des épices (cumin, curcuma, cardamome, poivre noir, piment, le zeste, pétales de rose, etc .. - à ajouter à l'eau de cuisson, au point 2 ou faire revenir dans un peu d'huile avant d'ajouter le riz et l'eau, comme pour le pilaf ci-dessous) et des herbes (feuilles de laurier, de thé, de curry ou de lime kaffir - à ajouter à l'eau de cuisson, au point 2 ou faire revenir dans un peu d'huile avant d'ajouter le riz et l'eau, comme pour le pilaf ci-dessous - ou des herbes fraîches telles que la coriandre laquelle sera ajoutée une fois que le riz aura été cuit,  au point 5) qui arômatiseront merveilleusement votre riz et le rendront plus attrayant.

Une autre façon de parfumer son riz est de remplacer un peu de l'eau de cuisson par un autre liquide (du lait de coco, du bouillon, du jus d'ananas, du thé, du tamari, de l'eau de rose, etc ..) ou d'incorporer des fruits secs (raisins, abricots, dattes, canneberges, épine-vinette/barberries, etc ..), des noix (amandes, noix de cajou, châtaignes, etc ..) ou même des légumes (petits pois, poivrons en dés, carotte coupés en macédoine, oignons hachés, ail en purée, etc ..) à l'eau de cuisson, au point 2.

Soyez inspirés et laissez courir votre imagination!

LEMANG OR GLUTINOUS RICE COOKED IN BAMBOO - A GUEST POST

Continuing with my sporadic series of guest posts, today it is an absolute honor and delight for me to introduce you to fellow foodblogger, Maylasian expat and Perth resident Lisa H. who lauched "From My Lemony Kitchen" in February 2009.

Although, her site was meant to be a private food journal rather than a public one, after a year of existence she decided to share her stories as well as recipes with the rest of the world. I am extremely thankful for her change of mind as this woman is very gifted and has a lot to give.

"From My Lemony Kitchen" is a jewel of a blog, especially for if you are a big fan of Southeast Asian cuisine like me and love the wonderfully spicy dishes which hail from that captivating region of the Far East. For our biggest pleasure, Lisa offers many exhaliratingly fragrant family as well as traditional recipes that a part of her heritage, but she also likes to share her Western- and Oriental-style creations (macarons, tarts, Chinese dumplings, chicken tikka, Hollandaise sauce, Goan curry, etc...) with us. And as if was not enough, her talent does not only limitate itself to cooking or baking; Lisa is a great photographer too.

Thanks for making us discover your rich universe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I received an invite from Rosa, we had just started our Eid celebration, which marked the end of the fasting period (a month). Coincidently, during the celebrations, I was in the middle of "experimenting" with this traditional and unique "must-have" dish originating from Malaysia where I grew up and which is known under the name of "Lemang" (pronounce "le – mung").

Thank you, Rosa for inviting me to write and share my knowledge of Malaysian food with your readers.

Reminiscing about my childhood days in the village… As Eid celebration drew nearer, everyone was busy and every shop buzzing with activity. All parents were busy shopping for new curtains, clothes and shoes, something that thrilled and excited us children to the highest point. Some families even went the extra mile and changed their entire furniture or even their car if they could afford such a luxury.

Everyone did "spring cleaning" and spruced up their gardens. Houses and courtyards were decorated with either homemade kerosene lamps or fairy lights. It felt like an Eastern version of Christmas.

Before the beginning of the Eid, kids in the neighbourhood were allowed to play out 'till late into the night and waves of laughter as well as chattering sounds could be heard as they gathered to play with sparklers or small firecrackers. Meanwhile, the adults would get on with the last-minute preparations. It was such a joyous and wonderful moment… We were all anticipating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with abated breath.

Early in the morning, on the first day of Eid, children were so excited and eager to put on their new clothes and shoes while waiting impatiently for their parents’ permission to leave the house and have fun. Once outside they roamed the neighbourhood, wishing everyone "Happy Eid" and receiving token coins in return.

To me, Eid is the time to forgive and forget as well as to seek for everyone's forgiveness. It also means that it is an opportunity for me to enjoy the abundance of food that is specially prepared for the occasion. One of them, my favourite, being "Lemang".

"Lemang" is a combination of glutinous rice and coconut milk that is pushed into the cavity of a bamboo joint, is lined with banana leaves. The filled bamboos are then placed standing up nearly vertically in a row, and placed over a slow burning wood fire so that the filling cooks or "roasts". It takes a lot of practice and patience to obtain an evenly cooked "Lemang". The whole process usually takes about 3-4 hours.

Once cooked and cooled, the bamboo is split open, thus exposing the creamy cylindrically shaped glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves. It is then sliced into discs and served with "Beef Rendang".

As I am living far away from my home country and can't get a hold of bamboo links - plus I doubt my city council and neighbours would be too thrill if I lit up a bonfire in my backyard in order to cook "Lemang" -, I had no other choice than to resort to making my own "Lemang" in its simplest form.

The idea was to achieve the same texture as the original dish - soft creamy glutinous rice, that is slightly crusted on the outside and has the aroma of banana leaves which's essence permeated the glutinous rice - without cooking them it the traditional way.

I hope I have managed to tempt you to experience "Lemang"and indulge in it, albeit the fact that no bamboo is used in the preparation of this dish and despite the fact that this version is not so perfectly cylindrical in shape. Nonetheless, it is "Lemang" to me…

~ Lemang or Glutinous Rice Cooked In Bamboo ~
Recipe by Lisa Ho at "From My Lemony Kitchen...".

Ingredients:
600ml Glutinous Rice, wash and drain off excess water
1 Can (400ml) Coconut cream
200ml Water
1 Screwpine leaf or pandan leaf, knotted
Salt, to taste
Banana leaves
Cooking string

Directions:
1. Put the coconut cream, water, knotted screwpine leaf and salt into a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Add the glutinous rice. Stir until the glutinous rice has absorbed the coconut cream mixture and no liquid is left. Turn off the heat and put it aside to cool.
2. Wipe clean your banana leaves and lay ithem flat on the work surface, with the lines on the leaf running from left to right.
3. Divide the glutinous rice mixture into 5 parts.
4. Ladle the glutinous rice mixture onto the leaves. Roll them into a cylindrical shape and secure both ends with cooking string, making sure there is no tear in the banana leaves.
5. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and gently submerge the wrapped lemang into the water. Boil for at least 20-30 minutes (this process will further cook the glutinous rice).
6. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
7. Transfer the lemang into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the banana leaf wrappers are slightly dried out.
8. Leave them to cool before slicing.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with "Beef Rendang".

Rosa's Note:
It would also make a great accompaniment to my "Fish Rendang".

SWISS EASTER RICE TART - TARTE AU RIZ

As the Easter holidays are approaching, I thought that you might like to see a seasonal recipe on my blog and discover an offbeat dish instead of coming across the same old ones year after year...

In Switzerland, when the Easter period is nearing, we get to see "Rice Tarts" or "Gâteau de Pâques" in every supermarkets as well as in certain bakeries. Yet, although it seems to be quite a big thing here, at home, it has never been a custom to eat that speciality during passover. That has maybe to do with the fact that I have not been brought up in any kind of religious environment...

Anyway, this year, I thought that I'd satisfy my curiosity and learn more about our Swiss culinary traditions, so I decided to bake one of these intriguing tarts that is so popular in my country.

After a great deal of surfing in search of the perfect recipe, I came to the conclusion that if I was going to make a "Swiss Easter Tart", I was not going to use a Swiss recipe for the simple reason that I could not get a grip on any (on the web or in my personal recipe collection). My only source was, once again, going to be American (you American guys have some of the best cookbooks and recipe sites ever) and thanks to the great Nick Malgieri, I was finely going to be able to try that speciality and stop fantasizing about it!

"Easter Rice Pies" are very well-spread throughout the Northern part of Italy where they are called "Torta Di Riso" and are traditionally served alongside "Ricotta Pie" for Easter Sunday dessert, but it is less known that Switzerland also has it's own version of this lemon-scented custard tart made with rice, almond meal, milk and eggs.

While Italians line their tart shells with a filling resembling "Rice Pudding" or sweet "Risotto", we puree the rice preparation in order to get a smooth filling. The Swiss tart is also much lighter (made with milk) than our neighbor's pies which generally contain ricotta and/or cream.

Nick Malgieri's "Swiss Easter Tart" is really comforting, yet not heavy at all nor too sweet. This delightful dessert has a delicate ricy, milky, somewhat eggy (in a good way) and lemony flavor. Since the rice used is parboiled long-grain rice and it is cooked in boiling water first, the texture of this tart isn't as smooth or creamy as risotto or custard, but it is similar to that of a slightly starchy flan or omelet and is pleasantly rubbery.

A wonderful non-fussy and unusual brunch dish/dessert item that'll conquer you with it's delicacy and subtle aromas!

My blog was chosen as one of the must-see sites on this week's baking blog on the Guardian website (a British newspaper). See article here.

~ Swiss Easter Rice Tart ~
Adapted by Rosa's Yummy Yums from a recipe by Nick Malgieri.

Makes a 25cm (10-inch) tart.

Ingredients for the "Pastry":
1 1/2 Cups plus All-purpose flour and more for dusting
1 Tbs Granulated sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Baking powder
10 Tbs (150g/1 1/4 stick) Cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
4-6 Tbs Cold water
Ingredients for the "Rice Filling":
1/2 Cup Long-grain rice (parboiled/see remarks)
3 Cups Milk
1 Tbs (30g) Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup Granulated sugar
1/4 Tsp Salt
The zest of 1 organic lemon
1/2 Cup Ground blanched almonds
1 Tbs All-purpose flour
3 Large eggs (~63g)
Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Method:
1. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the baking powder in food processor. Pulse to blend.
2. Add the butter and pulse 3 to 4 times, until butter is in pea-size pieces.
3. Sprinkle in 4-6 tablespoons cold water. Pulse 4 times.
4. Turn dough out on lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times to form a ball of dough that you'll shape into a disk and wrap in plastic.
5. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Method for the "Filling":
6. Meanwhile, half fill a medium (3 quart/3 l) saucepan with water, bring to a boil, stir in rice, lower heat to medium and cook until rice is soft, about 15 minutes.
7. Drain rice and return it to saucepan. Add milk, remaining butter, 1/2 cup sugar and salt.
8. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has thickened almost to a risotto consistency, about 25-35 minute.

9. Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice and water 10 minutes, to cool mixture to tepid.
10. Purée in food processor.
11. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add lemon zest.
12. Mix ground almonds with 1 tablespoon flour, add to bowl and whisk in.
13. Whisk in eggs one at a time
14. Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
15. Remove pastry from refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface. Lightly dust top with flour. Use a rolling pin to press down on dough to soften it. Roll out disk to 28cm (12-inche) in diameter.
16. Transfer to a 22cm (10-inch) tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly into pan and prick the base of the dough. Trim edges flush with pan. Pour filling into pastry.
17. Bake about 35 minutes, until filling is set and golden.
18. Cool on a rack.

Remarks:
At point 3, dough will not come together, so don't panick. It's absolutely normal.
You can replace the ground almonds by ground hazelnuts which are a lot more traditional and, if you wish, you can use orange rind instead of lemon rind as well as add a little vanilla flavor to the filling.
Use Arborio or Vialone risotto rice instead of parboiled rice. In that way, your tart will end up being more creamy.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this tart with either whipped cream, sweetened mascarpone, lemon curd or hot fruit compote (red fruits).

***************

~ Tarte Au Riz De Pâques (Suisse) ~
Recette de Nick Malgieri adaptée par Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Pour une tarte de 25cm de diamètre.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte":
1 1/2 Tasses (192g) de Farine blanche/fleur
1 CS de Sucre cristallisé
1/2 CC de Sel
1 CC de Poudre à lever
150g de Beurre non-salé, froid et coupé en 10 morceaux
4-6 CS d'Eau froide
Ingrédients pour la "Garniture Au Riz":
1/2 Tasse (100g) de Riz long grain (parboiled/voir remarques)
3 Tasses (720ml) de Lait
30g de Beurre non-salé
1/4 de CC de Sel
Le zeste d'un citron bio
1/2 Tasse (50g) Amandes (blanchies) moulues
1 CS de Farine blanche/fleur
3 Gros oeufs (~63g)
Soucre en poudre, pour décorer

Méthode pour la "Pâte":
1. Dans le bol d'un mixer, mettre la farine, le sucre, le sel et la poudre à lever. Mixer pour mélanger.
2. Ajouter le beurre et mixer en pulsant 3 ou 4 fois, jusqu'à ce que chaque morceau de beurre ait la taille d'un petits pois.
3. Ajouter l'eau et mixer tout en pulsant 4 fois.
4. Mettre le mélange sur une surface farinée et "pétrir" légèrement afin de former une pâte, puis applatir en un disque.
5. Emballer dans du film plastique et mettre au frigo pendant au moins 1 heure.
Méthode pour la "Garniture Au Riz":
6. Pendant ce temps, remplir une casserole moyenne (3 l) avec de l'eau et porter à ébullition. Ajouter le riz et baisser la température. Cuire jusqu'à ce que le riz soit tendre, pendant 15 minutes.
7. Egoutter et remettre le riz dans la casserole. Ajouter le lait, le beurre, le sucre et le sel.
8. Porter à ébullition et baisser le feu, puis faire mijoter le mélange (à feu moyen) pendant 25-35 minute.

9. Plonger la casserole dans de l'eau glacée afin de refroidir le mélange.
10. Mettre le mélange dans un mixer et réduire en une fine purée.
11. Verser dans un bol moyen et ajouter le zeste.
12. Ajouter à la purée de riz et bien incorporer.
13. Ajouter les oeufs un par un. Battre l'apareil à l'aide d'un fouet afin qu'il soit homogène et lisse.
14. Placer une grille dans la partie inférieure du four et préchauffer à 180° C.
15. Sortir la pâte du frigo et la poser sur une surface farinée. Saupoudrer le dessus avec un peu de farine. Exercer une pression sur toute la pâte à l'aide d'un rouleau à pâtisserie afin qu'elle se ramolissent et qu'elle puisse être étalée. Rouler la pâte en un cercle de 28cm.
16. Foncer le moule et bien l'étaler. Couper les bords et piquer le fond avec une fourchette. Verser la garniture dans la pâte.
17. Cuire environ 35 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la garniture soit dorée et ferme.
18. Faire refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Au point 3, ne paniquez pas si la pâte ne forme pas une boule. C'est tout à fait normal.
Pour la garniture, vous pouvez remplacer les amandes par des noisettes moulues (plus traditionnel) et, si vou voulez, vous pouvez utiliser le zeste d'une orange bio au lieu du zeste de citron et même ajouter 1 CC d'extrait de vanille.
Si vous voulez obtenir une garniture plus crémeuse, alors prenez un riz de type Arborio ou Vialone (pour risotto) au lieu du riz long grains.

Idées de présentation:
Servez cette tarte avec de la crème fouettée, du mascarpone sucré, du lemon curd ou avec une compote de fruits rouges tiède.