Introduction:
I happened on Indian curry rice by accident. My mother and I were helping my sister move into her new apartment in Northern California. After a day of unpacking boxes, cleaning, folding clothes, and organizing stuff, we were exhausted. My mother, who dislikes eating out, quickly fixed us a pot of “jeera rice”. Basically, it was cooked white rice sautéed in a few Indian spices. It was delicious.
I can never remember the exact spices my mother used to make jeera rice, and I never have the energy to call her and ask at the end of a busy workday. So I made up my own version, called “curry rice”. Remember – this isn’t real Indian food; it’s just a quick, healthy dish with some Indian spices thrown in. That being said, it’s not half bad.
A couple thoughts to mention: I used a big handful of fresh cilantro in this recipe (you can see it in the hints of green in the photo above). But if you don’t have it handy, don’t worry – you don’t have to use it. That’s the beauty of Indo-Fusion cooking – you will still be able to make a healthy, edible dish even if you don’t have every ingredient listed below. Here’s the way curry rice looks without cilantro:
Not bad, right? I promise, it tasted very good! So, with or without cilantro, let’s get started:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of uncooked white rice or uncooked brown rice
- Olive oil (note – you can use any other cooking oil you have handy)
- 1 Big Handful of chopped cilantro (frozen or fresh)
- Mustard seeds
- Ajwain seeds
- Bay leaves
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin powder
- Coriander powder
- Curry powder
Step 1:
Cook 1 cup of white rice in your rice cooker.
Step 2:
When the rice is fully cooked, pull out a large pot and set it on medium heat. Put 4 spoons of olive oil into the pot and let it heat for 2 minutes. Put 3 spoons of mustard seeds into the oil. Wait until the seeds start to pop; if they don’t pop after 5 minutes, turn up the heat and wait until they do.
Step 3:
Put 3 spoons of ajwain seeds into the hot oil. Toss 3 bay leaves into the pot. If you have the handful of chopped cilantro, toss it in. If not, who cares? Now, add ½ a spoon of turmeric. Add 1 spoon of cumin powder. Add 1 spoon of coriander powder. Add 1-2 spoons of curry powder (start with 1; add another later on if necessary).
Step 4:
Add the rice in to the pot. Stir to coat it in all the oil and spices. Add more oil if necessary – don’t let the rice burn! Add 2 spoons of salt and stir the rice. Do a taste test – is it spicy enough for you? Do you like the flavor? If you want it more intense, add more curry powder. Stir once more, remove from the heat, and you are done!
Final Thoughts:
I usually eat curry rice with a big salad of wild greens and goat cheese. Yes, I know this makes no sense – a salad has nothing to do with Indian cuisine. But it’s healthy. I pick up the wild greens pre-washed at a Farmer’s market or at Whole Foods (along with the crumbled goat cheese), so tossing some into a bowl with a splash of olive oil, stirring, and then putting it on my plate is super easy.
Note that this recipe is quite adaptable. I’ve added cilantro, peanuts, and sometimes frozen shredded coconut. But you don’t HAVE to do that. Usually I don’t, because I’m in a rush, and I often don’t have that stuff in the cupboard (even the cilantro – I run out frequently). The bottom line – this is a low fat, healthy dish that is chock full of excellent antioxidants in the form of Indian spice. Enjoy!
