If your family will tolerate it, I recommend more spice for added flavor.
As part of my training, I’ve been trying to find new options for meatless meals, meals that don’t rely exclusively on pasta or Mexican (in spite of the fact that I could eat either one daily). After a lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant, my husband was on board with this plan. “I have no idea what I ate,” he said (an Indian colleague ordered for the table), “but it was flavorful, filling and great. If you can figure out a way to cook that, I’m all for it.”
Challenge accepted.
There were more than a few failed recipes in the process — hey, not everything makes it into the blog — but we also stumbled across some real winners. This one came from Whole Foods. I also have an alternate recipe that has some different ingredients and approaches.
As usual, the recipe as written is a little bit milder than what I’d expect at a restaurant or prefer on my own, but I have a 5-year-old’s palate to consider.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large red onion, cut into small wedges
- 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 5 cups chopped fresh vegetables, such as cauliflower, carrots or green beans
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add rice and simmer for 30 minutes; drain well, like pasta. The rice will not be completely cooked at this point.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, ginger, half of the cashews, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often and adding a splash of water when the mixture sticks to the pot, until the veggies are deep golden brown and soft, about 15 minutes.
Add yogurt and curry powder and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in vegetables, water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender on the outside but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in frozen peas, if desired.
Arrange hot, drained rice over vegetables. Cover pot with foil and a tight-fitting lid and bake until rice and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover, carefully transfer contents of pot to a large bowl and toss together gently.
Spoon into bowls and serve garnished with remaining cashews.
Results
I served it with the easy raita that accompanies my tandoori chicken.
The Tiny Kitchen Assistant wasn’t thrilled about the cauliflower, but loved the cooked carrots and the rice. It’s a fairly mild recipe as is, and would benefit from a dash of hot sauce or a garnish of hot peppers. It got the thumbs up for a repeat performance.
Tags: Indian, main dish, meatless, oven, Recipe, RICE, side dish, stovetop, vegetables, veggies
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