Vagharela Chawal
A Parsi staple , mainly served with Dhanshak…
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, washed (no soaking required)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 green cardamoms
2 small pieces cinnamon
½ piece of star anise
6-8 peppercorns
1 big or 2 small onions, sliced
Salt to taste
Oil
Method:
Heat oil in a small kadhai. To that add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise and peppercorns.
When they begin to splutter add the sliced onion n let them brown.When done, remove from fire and set aside.
Take a rice cooker. Add the washed rice, salt to taste n the brown onions mixture. (also add the wee bit oil that’s left in the kadhai)
Add water as u normally would for the rice. Close the cooker n let it cook for a constant 10 minute whistle of the rice cooker. Lower the heat n let it cook for 5 more minutes.
When the cooker cools down a wee bit, open it n separate the rice gently but properly with a fork so that each grain of rice remains separate.
Serve with Dhanshak.
Note:
There is also a sweet variety of this rice that some families make. They acquire the brown color for the rice by caramelizing a wee bit of sugar and adding that to the rice. The sugar adds a sweet taste to the rice which is not something my family likes hence found a solution to their dislike. I brown the rice by adding fried onions.
– Recipe by Kainaaz Writer Bokdawalla