
Neelam’s Festive Rice Pilaf

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Neelam Batra, the author of the prize-winning book 1,000 Indian Recipes, generously shared this recipe with me. It is a glorious one-pot rice dish loaded with nuts, dried fruits, and vegetables. Neelam suggests serving it with yogurt to which minced fresh ginger, mint, cilantro, and scallions have been added. Without it, the dish is vegan. A dry Pinot Gris from Alsace has enough fruit to stand up to the spices.
ingredients
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serves: 4-6
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
6 slices (quarter-size) peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1-3 fresh serrano chiles (to taste, coarsely chopped)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup shelled raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios
1/4 cup each raisins, dried cranberries, and dried blueberries
1 stick (2 inch) cinnamon
5-6 black cardamom pods (crushed lightly to break the skin)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups finely chopped fresh vegetables (such as carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers of mixed colors, summer squashes)
1/2 cup frozen peas
sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount per Serving
Calories: 710
- Total Fat: 26.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 166.3 mg
- Total Carbs: 106.3 g
- Dietary Fiber: 13 g
- Sugars: 13.7 g
- Protein: 17.4 g
preparation

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