Rice

PENGUIN BOOKS THE RICE COOKBOOK Anuradha Ravindranath was closely involved in the publication of Tandoor: The Great Indian Barbecue by her father, Ranjit Rai. The book was published posthumously in India and abroad and was very well received. It is currently in its second edition. With the aim of inculcating the value of healthy eating from an early age, Anuradha has held cookery classes for children for several years. She conducts cookery workshops for a variety of audiences including schools, tour groups, foreign visitors and even at fairs.

THE RICE COOKBOOK 101 Simple Recipes

Anuradha Ravindranath FOREWORD BY ZOHRA SEGAL

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First published by Penguin Books India 2009 Text copyright © Anuradha Ravindranath 2009 Illustrations copyright © Vahula Paranan 2009 All rights reserved 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ISBN 9780143065845 Typeset in Sabon by Mantra Virtual Services, New Delhi

Printed at Repro India Limited

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. www.penguin.co.in

This book is dedicated to my parents Kamla and Ranjit Rai

Contents Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction

ix x xi

Vegetarian Khichdi Eggs Chicken Mutton Seafood Quick Recipes from South India Snacks Desserts

1 35 57 65 89 121 145 153 161

Glossary Index

167 172

Acknowledgements Several people have been involved, directly or indirectly, in the process of writing this book and this acknowledgement doesn’t do justice to the love with which they have encouraged me. Nor does it do justice to those who spent their time patiently helping to smoothen out the rough edges. However, I am attempting in a small way to thank them: My family for their love and support; My father, the late Ranjit Rai, who inculcated in me, the love, joy, mystery and romance of cooking; The late D. P. Mohley, whose untiring efforts unearthed information on many ancient traditions; Zohra Aunty, for her affection and continuing support; Karthika Menon for having faith in my ability to produce this book; Sherna Wadia for her time, patience and editorial expertise; Rosy for help with all the secretarial work; And lastly, the beautiful surroundings of the cafeteria at Triveni Kala Sangam, where I sat and wrote this book, drinking endless cups of tea.

Foreword Oh Anuradha! What a book you have written! It has resurrected your father, my dear friend Ranjit’s unsurpassable talent for cooking. He would have been so proud of you! And to choose such a simple subject as rice! Well, one has to admit that this grain is the cushion for almost the entire world’s staple diet, and there is nothing to beat the aroma of basmati on the boil. The variety of your recipes is most interesting. I like the way you guide your reader through the simplest details as if you were leading a child through life’s difficulties… gently but firmly. I wish this book every success. I know people will be hungrier for recipes from your pen after tasting its delicious flavours. With love and blessings Zohra Segal Delhi

Introduction The story of rice reads very much like a history lesson. A primitive, wild aquatic grass is thought to have existed in the huge land mass known as Gondwanaland, which some ten million years ago, is thought to have split up into Africa, India, Australia and South America. From this grass arose two cultigens, or self-cultivating varieties, Oryza glaberrima, and Oryza sativa, or the Asiatic rice. According to archaeological finds in India, the terraced fields of Kashmir, so typical of areas where rice is cultivated, have been placed at 10000 BC. Wild rice grains have been discovered at Chopani-Mando, and both wild and cultivated rice grains have been found at around 5000 BC levels in Koldiwha, near Allahabad. There is however no evidence to indicate that rice was cultivated by the people of the Indus Valley civilization. Historically, rice is considered pre-Dravidian. Perhaps it was the Austrics (a race of Mediterranean origin, about 6000 to 5000 BC) who first cultivated rice in the southern peninsula of India, particularly Tamil Nadu, Kerala and contiguous areas. Researchers believe that this could have occurred as early as 8000 to 10000 BC. The original word for rice by the Austrics is ‘orizi’. It is obvious that the Latin botanical name Oryza is derived from it. This ancient word may also be the origin of the present ‘rice’, derived from the last syllable ‘ryza’. The different varieties of rice in ancient times could have originated from one of the several wild ones. There

were predominantly eight to ten wild rice varieties which were eaten. Husking was done, but polishing appears much later. Some 6,000 to 7,000 years later, rice travelled to China via the maritime routes. It is also possible that thereafter it went overland to China via the Himalayan passes and on the way, to the Indo-Gangetic plains, which saw the first gleanings of this miracle grain. This could have happened around 4000 to 3000 BC. It is no wonder that a word for rice exists in practically all tribal dialects and languages of the world today. During the Vedic period, around 700 to 300 BC, rice is not mentioned in the Rigveda, but it is in the Yajurveda. Several names turn up in Sanskrit literature after its first mention in the Yajurveda. The popularity of rice is evident from a number of varieties mentioned in the samhitas of Charak and Susrat. Some of these are: Graismukha or shashtika: Summer rice, of a short sixtyday duration. Anu: Another summer variety, which was dark in colour. Varshika and vrihi: Rainy season varieties – considered of rather ordinary quality. Sharada: Autumn rice, which was rare. Haimanthaka, hayavana or hayana: An exceedingly white variety that was not transplanted. Shali: Winter varieties, deserving the greatest praise. There are innumerable varieties of rice in India and their high grain yield helped their spread. Once rice spread across the subcontinent it became the dominant cereal and staple, displacing barley in the north and millet elsewhere. Today, we have three main types of polished rice: long grain, medium and round. They came from different parts xii

The Rice Cookbook

of the world but because of climatic constraints, India, South East Asia, China and the Far East still remain the ‘home of rice’. Owing to new awareness about health foods, some wild rice varieties, which have a better nutritive balance, are now available the world over in speciality food stores. However, it is the white polished rice that is most commonly used. As for the grain itself, it is often described as the ‘lazy man’s paradise food’. You dump it in boiling water, take it out after 10-15 minutes and start eating! RICE AND FOOD Grains are the staple food for much of the world. Amongst all of them rice is the most ancient and is consumed the most. There are more than 2,000 listed varieties of rice and more than half the world’s population are rice eaters. In ancient times, rice was the basis of existence – the life giver. From a nutritional perspective, grains need to be complemented with at least a small quantity of protein to be considered a main dish. Protein is added, usually in the form of beans or a dairy product, nuts or seeds, appropriate vegetables like greens, or animal flesh. From the Ayurvedic point of view, grains provide the basis of a wide range of healing gruels. Rice was prepared as a thin stew, with specific spices and foods to treat the different illnesses. Dried grains were also used in healing. Finally, what was most appropriate depended on your constitution, needs and preferences. Each type of grain has unique qualities that help in the healing process. White basmati rice can be eaten by all constitutions. It is slightly cooling, sweet, light and moist, and is useful in calming an irritated or inflamed gut. In general, grains have a sweet flavour. Researchers have found that when a generous helping of grain is eaten, Introduction

xiii

levels of the amino acid, tryptophan, rise in the brain an hour or two later. This is used to make serotonin, among other things, which creates a feeling of well-being and calm in the body. Barley and rice continued to be the most important food grains. The daily offerings to the gods consisted of barley, from the barley harvest, till the rice harvest; and of rice from the rice harvest, till the barley harvest. Some of the more common preparations during ancient times are described in different texts as: Canakaudana: Rice cooked with gram or pulses (Purana). Caru: Cooked rice from which water was not strained, where the grains were soft but separate (Sabara Bhasya on Jamini). Dadhyodana: Boiled rice mixed with yoghurt (Bhadaranyaka Upanishad). Dugdhaudana: Boiled rice mixed with milk (Angavijja). Ghrtaudana: Boiled rice mixed with clarified butter or ghee (Sankhayana Aranyaka). Gudaudana: Rice cooked with jaggery (Baudhayana Grhya Sesa Sutra). Haridrodana: Rice boiled with turmeric (Baudhayana). Odana: Rice prepared with clarified butter, meat, fruit, tubers, pulses and milk (Susrat). Mamsaudana: Meat cooked with rice (Patanjali). Mamsabhutaudana: A tasty preparation of meat, rice, vegetables and spices cooked together (Valmiki’s Ramayana). The real romance with rice started in India. There is no other country in the world that grows so many unique varieties and creates so many exotic dishes with rice. It is in India that you get the long-grained basmati, some varieties of which leave an aftertaste of roses. There are xiv

The Rice Cookbook

other varieties ranging from the northern areas of Kashmir to the southern peninsula. It is India that gave the marketing names for these qualities of rice, especially the finer ones. The storage of rice also became a fine art in India. To prevent it from being eaten by insects, rice was stored with roasted gram. Insect preference for gram being well known, the rice was left unharmed while the gram was eaten. People in India store rice for a whole year, because the older the rice, the better it tastes. Rice is high in starch but has little protein and small traces of B-group vitamins. Several of these vitamins are lost on milling. However, most people want to eat white rice for its aesthetic value and because it is easier to store for long periods. Parboiled rice is very popular in India and is gaining popularity internationally. This process involves soaking the rice in water for two to three days after which it is boiled for a quarter of an hour and dried – the drying process taking nearly 15 days. It is subsequently milled. Parboiled rice is healthier than polished rice as the grain absorbs a considerable quantity of the mineral and vitamin content, thus enhancing its food value. But then one has to compromise on the taste, for parboiled rice has a definite flavour of its own, whereas polished rice will take on whatever flavour one wants it to, during the cooking process without imparting any of its own. Therefore, for some recipes, especially certain types of biryanis, longgrained polished rice gives the best results. There are countless recipes for rice preparations. The principal combinations are with vegetables, lentils or meats, either separately or together. The flavouring and spicing differentiates the kitchens of the world. It is also one of the few grains from which sweet dishes are made, such as kheer, payasam, sweet saffron rice and phirni, the latter being prepared from ground rice. Introduction

xv

Cookery

Cover photograph by Ashish Chawla Art direction by Rishabh Sud Food styling by Sujata Sadr

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