RICE With RAISINS: Truly, Madly, Sweetly

~Never miss a golden kiss. Especially when it's roasted.~ the NC

      Golden moments are found when we are not looking for them. That is part of what makes them golden -- the exquisite surprise, the unexpected pleasure, all coming at you in bursts of sweet texture....

          The same is true of a good smooch. Do not miss a chance at a golden smooch-- or any chance for an exquisite ecstatic moment. I don't. It's part of what spurs my personal odyssey, it is what propels my (sometimes scandalous) experimentation. After all, without that, there is no chance for discovery, no chance to be euphorically astonished. And that's simply... boring.

          Which brings me to raisins. Raisins. Raisins.

          Do not diss them. Do not-- as I have done in the past-- dismiss them. Do not mentally-confine their Purpose to Raisin Bran and cinnamon bread. They are so much more than that; I have India and nutty-sweet Trina to thank for this raisin-enlightenment....

             And while you're at it, get golden raisins. Yes, the purple kind can be used, but the golden ones work so much better in non-dessert items. It's not so much a taste factor as a 'looks thing'. I admit this. OK? A golden hue just goes better. Especially when you grew up with, um, Raisin Bran and cinnamon-raisin bread.

          Today's recipe fell out of the sky. I came upon it randomly in my insomniac cyber-wanderings, and if lit my interest. Must've been the raisins... the raisins...

RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N

Pay attention, brothers and sisters, as to how the rice is cooked in this recipe. I tend to skim over the rice-making part in recipes, assuming the 2 cups of water to 1 cup rice ratio, boiled, covered and simmered, etc. Trobee spotted the different style here.

It's a cool method, especially since the rice is cooked again at the recipe's end, so it absorbs the flavors without getting overcooked.

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Cinnamon sticks: The recipe calls for 6 small ones.

"We'll pretend her 'small' is an inch," I said to Trobee, "Cinnamon should boost the flavor, not take center stage. For me. I mean, I know you like your rice to be cinnamony, but--"

"Three inches," said Trobee. "Since we're halving everything, we'll use three inches."

"OK. We'll try that," I said, "I just can't have the rice turn out cinnamony. So watch out."

Trobee takes pride in her oft-accurate 'guess-timating' of ingredients. In fact, I think it's a sort of twisted game with her: "Damn I'm good."

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The original recipe calls for whole unshelled peanuts. You're supposed to soak them in salted water. This could be very good; we just use the dry-roasted kind out of a jar.

~We at the NC have selected Ms. Pal's recipe for Meena's 'From My Rasoi' Indian food blogging event, as it specifically highlights the regional flavor of Bengal.

~ More recipes and information on Bengal can be found at Ms. Pal's new site here.

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Anita Pal's Bengali Pilau Rice

         Allow me to introduce this splendid rice pilaf/pilau recipe. It is a golden moment of a dish. And the raisins... lightly roasted, they love you up like soft-but-firm smooches. It is my Favorite Sweet-Rice Recipe in recent memory. It elicits passion for Spicy-Sweet that I hadn't known was there. Thank you, Anita Pal of West Bengal. You have much to teach, and we at the NC have much to learn.

According to Anita Pal's introduction:

"Forget that multicoloured stuff served in your local Indian Takeaway - this is the real thing! Almost a meal in itself this really does have to be tasted to be believed. It is, of course, also a perfect accompliment to almost any other good Bengali food..."

• 1 cup rice
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt
• 2 Tb oil
• 2 Tb peanuts
• 2 Tb golden raisins
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder, optional

Masala:

• 2 bay leaves
• 3-inch cinnamon stick
• seeds of one green cardamom pod

1. In a large pot, add the rice with enough water to cover at least twice the depth of the rice. Add the turmeric and salt. Boil for about 12-15 minute on medium-high heat, until the rice is soft on both ends yet still hard in the middle. Drain in a colander.
2. Back to the stove. Heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the peanuts. When they have browned a bit, add the raisins. Wait for about 1 minute until raisins puff out.
3. Add the masala. Saute for a bit.
4. Take off the heat. Add the rice (and ginger powder, if you have any). Stir it all together. Done.

~Trobee says: "Using less than 2 Tb oil will cause the rice to be sticky.

~Some sugar is added to the original version. We haven't tried this yet because we're afraid we might like it. UPDATE: Trina stirs in 1/2 tsp at the end;

Click here for the original recipe.

See our post on ARTICHOKE LEMON LIMBO RICE

photo by Mo Digital