Pulau Nepalese Basmati Rice Dish

Kitchen Mama of 3's Note:

This is an amazing rice side dish with complex flavors, but simple prep! It has a sweet and salty element to it and the spices will make your kitchen SING! Originally made for a Girl Scout function, but EVERYONE loved it and it is now a family favorite! (Found on a Nepali website.) Also re-heats easily. The golden raisins add the most delicious bit of sweet to the rice!

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 ½ cups uncooked basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks (whole, approx 2 inches each)
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 ounces cashews (don't need to be whole)
• 2 ounces sultanas (golden raisins)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Wash the rice several times and let it soak for 30 minutes.
2. Drain the rice well in a sieve.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onion until soft.
4. Add all ingredients & spices, (except salt) to the pan and stir fry for 2 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add 2 cups of water to the pan with salt and bring to a boil then cover tightly and.
6. turn the heat to low.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding additional water during cooking, if necessary, until rice is tender and fluffy and all the water is absorbed.
8. Remove bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon sticks before serving.

Reviews

[La Dilettante]

Utterly amazing! Wow. I did not have whole cloves on hand, so cautiously added ground ones, and that was fine. We had two guests from Italy staying with us last week, and I wanted something different for our supper of grilled pork tenderloin, and these Italians had two helpings each, exclaiming *E' MOLTO buona!* Very, very good, and goes in my recipe file right now!

[Kathy228]

Very delicate-tasting rice dish and so easy to put together. All of the ingredients were nicely balanced with none dominating the other. I love recipes like that. I didn't have cashews, so I subbed with pinenuts which are as sweet as cashews. I will make this often... it's easy, fast, and very good.

[Missy Wombat]

Very good rice dish and very easy to make. Popular with the whole family and a nice variation of the rice theme.