Briyani rice with cashew nuts and raisins
* This post is part of the Royal Selangor Jellyriffic Competition where ten bloggers from around the world compete by posting recipes each day for 30 days in the month of October 2011 to raise awareness and support for breast cancer. *
UPDATE:
Follow our progress and download our recipes in the “Cuisines of the World” by clicking the image below:
~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~
Biryani is a set of food that is based around flavoured rice being the conduit. The term biryani is derived from the Persian word berya which means “roasted”.
Biryani rice or nasi biryani as it is popularly known in Malaysia and Singapore is usually cooked with spices, cashews, raisins and served with a selection of delectable meat and seafood curries and vegetables.
Its influence is derived from the Indian-Muslim community where the distinctive flavours of cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and cloves come together take transform plain white basmati rice into a tantalising meal.
Through our Cuisines of the World journey, we take you to sample one of the best-loved Indian dishes:
Day 15 – Main: Biryani rice with cashew nuts and raisins
Briyani rice with cashew nuts and raisins
This is an elegant dish that showcases aromatic spices such as coriander seeds, turmeric, curry powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin which will give you the beautiful flavours of Indian cooking. Ingredients 1 cup basmati long grain rice 1. Cook the rice in one cup of water until soft then set aside and let it cool. Makes approximately 2 – 3 moulds Tip for this recipe: We have intentionally made this biryani rice to be vegetarian to enjoy the fragrant aromas of the spices. If required, small pieces of diced chicken can be added when frying the onions and spices.
2 -3 cinnamon sticks
15- 20 cashew nuts
15 – 20 large raisins
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cardamom pods
3 small cloves
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 small brown onion, finely diced
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
Method
2. Heat the oil in a pan or wok until slightly smoking then add the onions and fry gently until fragrant.
3. Then add the cumin seeds, coriander powder, one cinnamon stick, turmeric powder and curry powder to the onions and mix well. Turn down heat as the onions become transluscent.
4. Add in the cooled rice and mix all the ingredients with the rice.
5. When the rice is all coated and yellow, add the cashew nuts and raisin.
6. Spoon the rice into the Royal Selangor jelly mould and pack the contents tightly, then plate the contents in the centre of a dinner plate and garnish with extra cashew nuts, raisins and coriander sprigs.
Serve
So dear readers, what is your favourite Indian food?
*Note to readers: You can support and help raise the awareness of breast cancer by the following ways:
- Share our recipes with family and friends on Facebook or Twitter.
- Like chopinandmysaucepan on Facebook.
- Follow chopinandmysaucepan on Twitter.
- Suggest to us any recipe, jelly or otherwise that you may like us to cook using the mould. Recipes do not necessarily need to incorporate gelatin and participants are encouraged to be as creative as possible. We need all the help we can get and would welcome any creative ideas and recipes from our readers.
- Purchase a jelly mould from Royal Selangor. Remember, all sales proceeds will go towards improving the lives of women affected by breast cancer.
Win an Olympus VG-110 camera
To encourage readers to support the cause for breast cancer awareness, we will give away an Olympus VG-110 camera to one lucky reader.
All you have to do over the next thirty days is to provide your comments, feedback, suggestions or any recipes and you will be in the running to receive this camera. This prize is open to any and all readers.
If you enjoy our daily posts throughout October 2011, do consider helping the cause for breast cancer by participating in any or all the the ways mentioned above.
We wish you good health and happy cooking!
Chopinand & Mysaucepan
~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~
I like this one, too!
You are so good at filling that mold!
I look forward to your posts each day.
Hi heidi,
We cooked a large pot of this biryani rice and had a few friends over for a taste test. We really liked the aromas of the spices that gave the rice so much flavour and taste! After 15 episodes, yes, we’re getting pretty good at using this mould!
I need to catch up a bit today. You’re right it’s already 16th day and you are very comfortable with this challenge! About half way through. Looking forward to next posts! This rice looks delicious with all the spices and fragrances!
I love Biryani and this looks like a wonderful version. I’m looking forward to giving it a try!
Pingback: A trail of Inspiration. « Yvette's Twistedvines
Awesome. I LOVE a good Biryani rice. And this one has raisins too, yum! Bookmarked this already though I doubt I’ll have a jelly mould to serve this in hehe. Thanks =)
Love the herbs and spices you have added
I will have my briyani with chicken or beef..what about you? and thank you for the info regarding the briyani name..haha..Now I know
I’m seeeing these cones EVERYWHERE now! But I haven’t got tired yet, I think food looks so much more exciting styled this way haha. I have a weakness for indian food/basmati rice btw, so this looks really really really good to me right now.
Interesting rice presentation, great food and art combined in a plate.
Rice is always nice indeed and briyani is even more special since they’re so aromatic.
The conic shape makes this dish instantly elegant, like a Michelin-starred restaurant level.
This look delicious! Cant wait to see the indian dessert
Not sure is its possible with the shape of the mold but could a coconut creme brulee be the dessert for Thailand?
Hi Nic
Can we just say that someone has guessed 9 out of 10 cuisines, which we believe, is not difficult at all given all the iconic dishes for each of those cuisines. We would say that to win the camera at this stage, all you have to do is to name the ten correct cuisines.
I really like this flavor combination!
I love how you plated this!
I keep forgetting to answer your intriguing questions at the end…! I love naan with ghee — with ANY kind of Indian food.