Yellow Rice Recipe
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (500 g) white basmati rice - rinsed, soaked for 30 mins, then drained (Note A)
- 3 tablespoon (45 g) butter
- 2 teaspoons salt - regular white salt
- 1 chicken cube - aka chicken bouillon cube or use chicken powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder - aka zeera powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder - aka dhaniya powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder - not garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder - aka haldi
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder - aka dalchini powder (Note B)
- 3 whole green cardamoms - aka choti elachi, pods should be fully intact
- 1 whole black cardamom - aka bari elaichi
- 1 small green chili - very finely minced. I use Thai chilies
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add 3.5 cups of water to a pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the drained white basmati rice and all the other ingredients. Give it a good mix.
- Partially cover the pot with lid and let liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong). Don't stir yet, just keep an eye. At first, the bubbles on the surface will be big and vigorous. As the liquid cooks down further, you'll start to see small bubbles and steam holes across the surface. That’s your cue to give a brief, gentle stir. Some liquid (around 10 to 20 percent) will still be left, which is intended.
- Cover completely with lid right away, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it steam for 10 minutes. DO NOT remove the lid. No peeking, no stirring.
- Turn off the heat. DO NOT remove the lid yet and leave the pot on the same burner. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes so it finishes cooking in residual heat.
- After the resting time, remove the lid, plate the rice using a flat, wide utensil like a rice paddle.
Notes
Note A: Rice – Basmati is my fav, but any regular kind of white rice will work. If using sella basmati rice, soak it for 2 hours and steam for 15 minutes instead of 10. Everything else in the method stays the same.
Note B: Cinnamon – If you don’t have powder, add a 1-inch piece of cinnamon bark.