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.

34 comments:

Cool Lassi(e) said...

Perseverance pays off, right? First time flopped. Second time aced it. Good girl! The name Kuska made me LOL. Hey what is Vellore Serwa? I am from Vellore, you know? Born and raised there until 16 that is and I haven't heard that..Maybe I might have but didn't care to know what it was..anywayz, happy weekend dear!

Treat and Trick said...

Kuska looks yummy but never tried cooking with brown rice, love your picture too...

http://treatntrick.blogspot.com

Vrinda said...

I never tried anything with brown basmati rice..recipe sounds gr8 Gita...

Padhu Sankar said...

It is very difficult to eat brown rice with rasam and sambar for me.So I always prepare pulav or tomato rice with brown rice.Kuska looks healthy and yummy

Reshmi said...

wow gita..kuska name sounds intersting....never tried with brown rice...looks really delicious..

Sushma Mallya said...

Using brown rice seems a healthier option but i havent used it till now...looks very delicious gita..

Usha said...

Kuska looks and sounds delicious! I love brown basmati rice the best and use it in all my dishes...

Rachana said...

Kuska looks yummy... I too have a brown rice biryani recipe lying in my draft... Have a great weekend:)

Nadji said...

Encore un bon plat de la cuisine indienne.
j'aime beaucoup.
See soon.

Pavithra Srihari said...

Gita .. every recipe you post is healthy . This is yet another healthy , delicious kuska. will try it for sure.

Indian food recipes said...

Sounds healthy&delicious. Really useful post...need 2 try this one..tnx

kitchen queen said...

lovely mouthwatering and tempting rice dish dear!

AnuSriram said...

Looks awesome! Must have tasted Wonderful!

Malar Gandhi said...

Wonderful choice, arcot-vellore serwa is ultimate combo' for biriyanis, pulav and kushka. Never tried kushka with veg-broth...a must try one for sure.

Namitha said...

All the efforts and trials worth it..this looks like a perfect meal :-)

Kiran said...

Gita, a very flavorful recipe for brown basamti rice.Looks yummy.I love to cook with brown rice and will try this recipe.

Preety said...

that new to me..lovely recipe and great click

shahana said...

Sounds new to me.Thanks for sharin g this recipe

Nandinis food said...

I've eaten kuska but never tried it with brown rice. Must've tasted wonderful!

Urmi said...

Kuska looks very nice and delicious. New dish for me. Wonderful recipe with mouth watering pictures.

Unknown said...

Really healthy n delicious looking rice!

Urmi said...

Please collect your award from my blog.

Ms.Chitchat said...

Kuska is new to me. Although we hail from Tamil Nadu, still to get to know about the delicacies of each district :):) Recipe sounds tasty.

Uma said...

wow, rice looks so tempting Gita!! Yum!

Meena said...

nice recipe indeed...

Kalai said...

Trial and Error, brought us such wonderful and a healthier recipe. I am sure, the flavors were well blended when you baked, nice idea! And a perfect combo.

Neetz said...

now that looks intresting one and very healthy too Gita :)

Nadji said...

I have an award for you on my blog.
See soon.

zlamushka said...

Interesting recipes. love brown rice, it s a lot healthier too.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Kuska and serwa combo looks very tempting Gita. Yours has turned out very good and I like that idea of vegetable broth n brown rice. Very nice post dear.

Unknown said...

Nice new recipe for me..Never tried brown basmathi rice..this sounds interesting & healthy too..:)

Gomathy S said...

I have heard of Kuska but never knew what it was.. not I know...we have something in common ..even my hubby hated brinjal until I made him a stuffed brinjal kulambu :-)

Raje said...

I cook brown rice often as pulav, Kuska is new to me a must try. A healthy dish and sounds Yumm Gita!

Nadji said...

Encore une bonne recette.
Je note.
A bientôt.