Rice Dish

When I teach people how to make Indian food, I strive to give them a full understanding of the ingredients they are using. In Indian food, Basmati rice is so fundamental, at a minimum, you should have these four methods of cooking it in your bag of tricks. Methods 1 & 2: Simple Stovetop Rice […]

Yavagu is a porridge enjoyed in India for well over 2,000 years. It is mentioned frequently in old texts like the Mahabaratha and Ramayan and is much praised by Ayurveda. Today it is most often prepared as a rice porridge, but it can be made with any grain. Here I make it with red rice […]

The sound of sizzling mustard seeds and crackling curry leaves as their aroma fills the air takes me back to when my mother would wake me up with a warm bowl of poha. Poha is one of those classic Indian comfort foods. So classic it has been enjoyed throughout India for over 2,000 years. About […]

Dal Chawal is a simple, hearty comfort food for millions of Indians worldwide. It is such a common food some version of it will be cooked just about anywhere in India. It’s just one of those foods that is part of the culture. Pot-In-Pot Dal Chawal is the ideal pot-in-pot food for the Instant Pot […]

Paneer Pulao is a simple, one-pot recipe featuring paneer. The paneer gives it a heartiness, and the saffron and spices give it a depth of flavor and richness. As a rice dish, it is also very adaptable and can be served alongside just about anything. Paneer pulao can serve as the central feature on your […]

A simple and delicious stovetop recipe for basmati rice flavored with turmeric and garlic, it also includes Instant Pot instructions. This makes a healthy, flavorful side dish that can accompany almost any savory meal. It goes great with proteins like chicken, steak, for fish, as well as most Indian curries. This is a garlicky version […]

Brown basmati rice is every bit as fragrant and flavorful as white, with the added health benefits of the germ. The germ is rich in fiber, protein, and even a little bit of healthy fat, which makes brown basmati rice a healthier alternative to traditional white basmati rice. It’s a great idea to add some […]

Chicken Tikka Biryani fuses two popular Indian dishes, chicken tikka, and biryani. I love the taste of tikka masala seeping into basmati rice. With this recipe, those flavors are combined into one beautiful dish, sure to impress your family and guests. What is Chicken Tikka Biryani? Chicken Tikka is a classic, moghul dish where chicken […]

This is a simple onion rice recipe to elevate your bowl of basmati rice. This dish tastes great served alongside any kind of meat or curry. Onion rice isn’t a traditional Indian dish. It is one I invented, but it would sit comfortably alongside any meal my grandmothers might have made. It is a simple […]

For a lightly sweet, fragrant afternoon treat that can also serve as a mealtime dish, try Narali Bhat, or coconut sweet rice. Impress your friends by making Narali Bhat for your next potluck. This is a celebration food for a reason! The sweet, fragrant rice is an easy Instant Pot dish that can also be […]

Indian style Chicken fried rice, or “Chicken Chopper Rice”, is a great leftover rice recipe. It’s a type of rice commonly found on the streets of Bombay and all over India. It’s an Indian-Chinese recipe, and most people make it in a very Chinese-fried-rice type of way by adding soy sauce. I also make a […]

Lemon Rice is a classic South Indian dish that provides a real punch of flavor without requiring too many ingredients. “Lemon Rice” is also called “Chitranna” in Kannada or “Nimmakaya polihora” in Telugu. This one is serious comfort food in many South Indian homes. I’ve most commonly had Chitranna when visiting temples and restaurants. Rice is […]

Mushroom biryani is an easy, one-pot vegetarian meal, perfect for a weekday dinner. A well-made biryani is fragrant and spicy. The balance of flavors and various textures make for a satisfying meal. This version uses mushrooms to obtain the texture and umami balance of traditional biryani. For the most part, mushroom have not historically been […]

Indian fried rice is called “Vagharelo Bhaat” in Gujarati or “Fodni Bhaat” in Marathi. Fried rice is a great way to reheat leftover rice, completely transforming it into a delicious meal. I make it with leftover rice and a simple Gujarati vaghar. Many other regions of India would make it similarly. It is the simple […]

Kichidi and chaas is my all-time favorite comfort food. My mom used to make kichidi for me whenever I felt a little under the weather. The combination of steaming hot rice and lentils with a cold glass of chaas always made me feel better. Chaas is a simple combination of yogurt, salt, water and cumin. […]

Pulao, or “pilaf,” is ubiquitous across most of the world’s cuisines. This is probably because it is such a great dish for large gatherings. Making a large pot of vegetable rice pulao is not much more difficult than making a small pot. Alexander the Great is said to have first eaten Pilaf in the Bactria […]

Jeera Rice is a simple, fragrant cumin rice. “Jeera” is hindi for cumin. The toasted cumin along with some lemon zest make this simple dish pop with flavor. When I was 11 I developed an obsession with Jeera Rice. I refused to eat anything unless this rice was on my plate. Not long after I […]

Puja taught me how to cook basmati rice many years ago but I was never completely happy with it because whenever we would go out to a restaurant the rice seemed so much better to me. It was a problem that lingered with me for years until I finally decided to sit down and figure […]