Put the rice in a strainer and rinse under cool water three or four times, until the water runs clear. Place the strainer in a bowl of water and let the rice soak, about 20 minutes. Drain the rice well.
Meanwhile, warm the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin, cardamom and bay leaf and cook until the spices sizzle and become aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the drained rice to the pot. Cook until the water evaporates from the rice grains and you can hear a gentle snap, crackle and pop, 1 to 2 minutes. (The rice will smell ever so slightly nutty.) Pour in 1 3/4 cups hot water and season with a big pinch of salt. Cover the pot, turn down the heat to low and cook 15 minutes. (Don’t take the lid off while cooking!)
Meanwhile, pour the peas into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water and microwave 2 minutes. Set aside. Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Place a clean kitchen towel over the top and pop the lid back on. If the rice felt a little wet when you fluffed it, return the pot to the burner for 3 to 5 minutes —t he residual heat will cook off the excess water. If the rice felt pretty good, let the pot sit off the heat, undisturbed, 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and kitchen towel from the rice. Sprinkle with the peas, peanuts and mint. Squeeze the lemon wedge on top and season with a little more salt; stir well with a fork. Serve with the raita.
Pickled Beet Raita:
Combine the yogurt, beets, cucumber, pomegranate seeds and mint in a bowl. Season with a big pinch of salt, the cumin and black lime. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tools You May Need
Photograph by Yunhee Kim
Tools You May Need
Price and stock may change after publish date, and we may make money off
these links.
By entering your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use
and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
Food Network and
its affiliates
may use your email address to provide updates, ads, and offers.
To withdraw your consent or learn more about your rights, see the
Privacy Policy.