Transform rice into a festive dish
Cooking rice is a challenge to many – if the grains do not come out half cooked, they come out looking more like posho than rice!
Yet rice, when properly cooked, should come out fluffy and single-grained.
The secret is in measuring the correct amount of water and cooking in a covered pan over low heat. Most important of all is allowing the rice to cook on its own without stirring it at all during the cooking process.
In this dish, turmeric gives the rice a nice yellow colour while the peas, maize kernels, carrots and tomatoes give it a colourful and festive look.
Ingredients to serve 4
½kg (1 large plastic mug) rice
2 tbsp oil 1 large onion, 1 level tsp turmeric, 1 large clove garlic, 1½ cm piece fresh ginger, 1 level tsp pilau masala, 1 large carrot, 1 cup (250ml) fresh peas, 1 cup (250ml) fresh maize kernels, 2 large firm ripe red tomatoes, 1 tsp salt
1. In most cases you may not need to wash the rice before cooking, however, if the need arises or you feel more comfortable doing so, wash it before hand and dry it thoroughly in the sun before cooking it.
2. Boil the peas in salted water with ½ a tsp of sugar to help retain the green colour. When cooked, drain, cover and put aside. Boil the maize in salted water, drain cover and put aside or buy a can of sweet corn, drain, measure the amount you need, cover and put aside.
3.Dice the carrots into pieces about the same size as the peas and maize, cover and put aside. Dice the flesh of the tomatoes, without the seeds, cover and put aside.
4. Slice the onion and peel and grate the onion and garlic
5. Boil 1 litre or two large plastic mugs of water, cover and put aside.
6. In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the oil and fry the onions and ginger until golden. Add the garlic, pilau masala, salt and turmeric and cook stirring for about a minute. Add the rice and continue stirring for another minute. Add the hot water, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan and cook without stirring.
7. When the rice is cooked tip on to a platter and stir in the vegetables one by one making sure that they are evenly distributed and serve hot.
