Refrigerated, the rice keeps well for 3 – 4 days. It also travels well and is ideal for picnic and lunch boxes.
Basmati rice - 200 gm
Fresh fenugreek - 1 bunch
Refined oil - 1/2 cup
Shelled peas - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 10 – 12
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp a pinch of asafoetida
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Spring curry leaves - 1
Salt - to taste
Thick tamarind pulp - 11/2 tablespoon
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Masala
Bengal gram dal - 2 tablespoon
Black gram dal - 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
Dry red chillies - 4
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Stick of cinnamon - 5 cm
Cloves - 6
Grated dry coconut -1/2 cup
To prepare the masala, dry roast the dals to a golden brown. Put the coriander seeds, chilli, cinnamon and clove in 1/2 tsp. Oil for a few seconds. Grind all together to a coarse powder.
Cook the rice till done and strain. Each grain should remain separate. Do not overcook.
Pick the leaves of the fresh fenugreek and finely chop. Heat 1 tsp. in a pan and cook the fenugreek leaves and cook till the moisture evaporates. Cook the peas.
Heat the remaining oil in a degchi. Fry the cashewnuts and remove. Season the oil with mustard seeds and asafoetida when they stop spluttering, add turmeric and curry leaves, stir in the rice, break lumps, if any stir and fry for 3 – 4 minutes; put in the cooked fenugreek and peas, salt, tamarind juice, 1 tbsp. Sugar. Mix well, cover and let cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the powder spices, 1 tsp. at a time mixing well after each addition.
Sprinkle with the nuts, mix well and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Finally add the grated coconut and mix. Handle the rice gently so that the grains do not break.
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