BROWN RICE KUSKA

Kuska is a type of plain briyani without veggies or meat. The rice is usually cooked in cooked in chicken broth along with the spices and served with a spicy side dish. There are different versions of kuska like adding coconut milk or yogurt. Preparing kuska with brown rice was a little bit challenging. When I tried this for the first time with my usual method of making briyani, the rice took a long time to cook and I was not satisfied with the overall taste. This time, I let the rice cook in the broth and then added it the briyani masalas and baked everything for sometime. This way the rice absorbed all the briyani flavors and tasted really great. Actually I got a double thumbs-up from my hubby for this kuska. I also made Vellore brinjal serwa for the first time and this has changed my husband into a brinjal convert. This is the first time he loved any brinjal dish, so I think I’ll be getting more requests for this combo from now on :) The brinjal serwa can be found at Malar or at or Viki .

INGREDIENTS:

1. Brown basmati rice, 1 cup.

2. Onions, medium-size, 3.

4. Tomatoes 2.

5. Green chilies, 1-2.

6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon.

7. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.

8. Chopped mint leaves, ½ cup.

9. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

10. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.

11. Bay leaf, large, 1.

12. Cloves, 2.

13. Star anise, 1.

14. Cardamom, 2 pods.

15. Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.

16. Briyani masala powder, 1 teaspoon.

17. Chicken broth or vegetable broth for cooking the rice, 1 cup mixed with 1 cup of water. The broth can be store bought or homemade, even fat-free versions are available in the groceries.

18. Yogurt,1 tablespoon.

19. Salt as per taste.

20. Cashews, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:

Wash the rice well and soak it for 30 minutes and cook the rice in the chicken or vegetable broth until the grains are fluffy. The rice can be cooked either in pressure cooker or microwave. If pressure cooker is used for cooking, cook the rice just up to 3 whistles. Let the rice cool. Meanwhile dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Heat a thick bottomed pan, with 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil turns hot, add all the spices and cashews and let them fry for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and curry leaves and sauté them for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, slit green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Add the chili powder, briyani masala, yogurt, and salt and let it cook for a few more minutes. When the mixture is well blended and good smell starts coming from the mixture, add the cooked brown rice, chopped mint and cilantro leaves, mix everything and lower the flame. Cook closed for 15 minutes under low flame and switch off the stove. Another method is at this stage, the contents can also be transferred to a baking dish and closed with an aluminum foil as tightly as possible and cooked in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot kuska with raita and any spicy vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and enjoy.