Description
A fragrant and flavorful Spicy Indian Rice recipe featuring long grain rice cooked with aromatic spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin seeds, enhanced by the sweetness of sultanas and the crunch of roasted cashew nuts. Perfect as a side dish to curries or grilled meats.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Spices
- 1 mugful American long grain rice
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Heaped teaspoon salt
Other Ingredients
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- Large handful of sultanas
- Large handful of roasted cashew nuts
Instructions
- Fry the Onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Prepare and Boil the Rice: Fill a roomy saucepan with water and bring it to a vigorous boil. Add a heaped teaspoon of salt, turmeric, and the cinnamon stick to the boiling water. Stir once, then add the American long grain rice. Return to boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady boil but not vigorous. Boil uncovered without stirring for 10 minutes. Check the rice by tasting a grain; if still too crunchy, cook an additional minute until tender but slightly firm to the bite.
- Drain and Rinse the Rice: Drain the rice into a large sieve and rinse by pouring over a kettle of very hot water to remove excess starch and prevent stickiness.
- Cook the Spices with Onions: Stir the crushed cardamom seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds into the golden fried onions. Fry briefly for a minute or so to release the spices’ aroma.
- Combine Ingredients: Toss in a large handful of sultanas and roasted cashew nuts with the spiced onions. Then add the hot, drained rice and gently mix everything together to combine flavors evenly.
- Serve: This spicy Indian rice is delicious served as a side dish with curries or grilled meats and fish, offering an exotic and fragrant accompaniment.
Notes
- Use a long grain rice variety for best texture and aroma.
- Rinsing the rice after boiling helps reduce starch and prevent clumping.
- You can adjust the amount of sultanas and nuts according to personal preference for sweetness and crunch.
- For a vegan dish, ensure cashew nuts are roasted without butter or animal products.
- Cardamom pods should be crushed to release maximum flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Spicy Indian rice, Indian rice recipe, turmeric rice, cumin rice, fragrant rice, rice with nuts and sultanas, vegetarian Indian side dish
