A visit to the East
Biryani rice is a popular Indian dish
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
During a recent afternoon, my wife,
Laurie Anderson, and I settled on an Indian
specialty, biryani rice, paired with another
spicy off ering with a side of leafy greens,
picked fresh from the garden.
Soon, we were already smelling a bou-
quet of rich, heady spices that fl ooded the
whole house.
With this dish, I added a pork fry with
sweet peppers, onion and wild celery. I
coated the slivered pork with a slurry of
corn starch and water, then fried it in a ½
cup of oil. Next, I added the veggies and
a ¼ cup of stock, red chilis to taste, and
a full teaspoon of tikka masala combined
with a cup of coconut milk. This completes
a satisfying repast, full of spice and oodles
of fl avor.
Biryani rice
Ingredients
• 3 cups of Basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons of butter
One large onion, chopped medium-fi ne
Six cardamom pods
One small cinnamon stick
A few whole cloves
Four cloves of garlic, fi nely minced
1 tablespoon of ginger, fi nely minced
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of Mae Ploy green curry
paste
• A pinch of saff ron or a teaspoon of
turmeric
• Salt
• 6 cups of homemade chicken stock
Preparation
Wash and strain the rice. Heat the but-
ter and oil and sauté the onion until golden.
Add the saff ron, curry paste and the spices.
Next, add the rice and continue cooking
until the grains color. Add the stock, a cup
at a time. Stir until the liquid is absorbed.
In this manner, add the rest of the stock.
While still moist, cover with a tight lid and
steam until the rice is soft, about 15 to 20
minutes. Raisins and slivered almonds are
David Campiche
The meal is full of spice and an abundance of fl avor.
a wonderful garnish.
Laurie’s spicy greens
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Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• One large onion, diced
• Three cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of minced ginger
• A large bunch of garden greens, such as
spinach, collard greens, beet greens and
kale; all chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup plain yogurt
Preparation
Heat ghee or cooking oil. Add the black
mustard seeds and heat until they begin to
“pop.” Add the cumin seeds, coriander and
turmeric, one at a time, stirring after each
addition. Add onion and sauté in spice
mixture until partially cooked through.
Next, add garlic and ginger, stirring con-
stantly over medium-high heat. Add the
chopped greens and stir to coat with the
spice mixture. Add two tablespoons of
water and steam under a covered lid until
greens are limp and cooked through. Add
salt and cayenne pepper. Stir. Finally, to
add a creamy texture, add the yogurt, stir-
ring to combine.