RECIPES

Yellow pea dal with Cardamom rice

Ingredients for the Dal

• 250g yellow split peas or chana dal
• 2 medium size onions~ chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic~ crushed
• Spices: 2-3 teaspoon of each cumin, coriander, gram masala, half a teaspoon ground green cardamom or 3 bruised seeds, a pinch of star anise or 1 bruised head, half to 1 teaspoon of chill, 1-2 dessertspoons of mustard seeds
• 600-700 ml water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 dessertspoons of oil

• 1 thick-bottomed saucepan

Method

• Soak the yellow peas or dal in water, over night or during the day.
• Fry the chopped onions and garlic till golden, add the spices mixing thoroughly, leave to infuse for a moment, pour in the wine, turn up the heat and reduce it all in to the onions.
• Add the tomatoes, rinsed and drained peas or dal and two thirds of the water, simmering for up to 2 hours adding more water as necessary as they become dry. Stir regularly from the bottom of the pan, they like to stick.
• As they become cooked the consistency will change, becoming quite thick and creamy. In the mean time you can start to prepare the other curry sauce.

Leftovers:

Usually tastes even better the next day, Pea soup for lunch, with a little chopped mint and spoonful of hummus on top.

Cardamom rice

My favourite way of cooking rice is by the absorption method i.e. double water to rice, infused with some bruised cardamoms and a little salt.

Wholegrain or brown rice takes at least 40 minutes to cook, don’t get caught out with cooking times. White rice varieties can be cooked in 12-15 minutes.

Rice is quite happy to sit for as much as 20-30 minutes with the lid on, it keeps hot for a long time and benefits from sitting for about 10 minutes once cooked, so something else to prepare well ahead.

Rinsing off the starch before cooking gives a less sticky result. Rice water will go quite milky with some types of rice particularly the white varieties, so rinsing it 2-3 times definitely gives a better result

Ingredients

• 50-70 grams of rice per person, basmati or fragrant Thai work very well with this method
• 4-5 green and or 3 black cardamom seeds~ bruised
• Salt
• Double the quantity water to rice

• 1 medium thick-bottomed saucepan with tight-fitting lid

Method

• In the pan rinse the rice by covering it with water, stirring it to remove any starch, gently pour off the milky water; the rice will stay in the bottom, so you can pour off most of the liquid easily. Repeat the process until it becomes clear.
• Cover it with the measured quantity of water, add the cardamoms and salt then bring rapidly to the boil.
• Stir once or twice as it is coming to the boil, to prevent it clogging on the bottom, as it comes to boiling point give it one final stir, then turn the heat down as low as possible, put the lid on trying not to stir it again for this method of cooking rice.
• It should be cooked when the water is absorbed, check to see if is then turn out the heat; leave it to stand while you get the other dishes together.
• Just before you are ready to serve the rice, use a fork to lighten it or fluff it up, spoon into your serving dish, garnish with sprigs of any fresh herbs you have especially coriander.

Leftovers:

Fact, there is often some leftover rice, will keep in the fridge for several days. Great brought out as a Stir-fry rice; some diced peppers, peas and red onion fried in a little oil, add the rice and heat it through, finish with splash or two of tamari or soya sauce. Using the same vegetables as a salad, added raw into a bowl with the rice, dressed with lemon or limejuice, hemp and or olive oil. Some curry spices and mayonnaise is another alternative.