I first learned to make this dish when my husband, who was in the Air Force at that time, was attending Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, India. We were about 300 couples that were 30+ years old. It was a fun time for the ladies, though the husbands were kept busy studying. With dinner parties almost every other day, there was a great exchange of recipes and competitive cooking. Thank you, Mimi, for this recipe!
This is a good rice dish when inviting guests over as it is light on the stomach and goes well with vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, curried vegetables, and dals.
Kala Zeera Gajar Chawal (Black Cumin Carrot Pilaf)
A flavor-packed rice pilaf with spices and carrots.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- ½ carrot (peeled and coarsely grated)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 cups water
- Salt to taste
Seasonings
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 small green cardamoms
- 1 large black cardamom
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 whole green Serrano chili (optional)
Garnish
- ½ cup thinly sliced onions (sautéed golden brown)
- ¼ cup sautéed cashew nuts (optional)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs (peeled and cut in half)
Instructions
- Sort and clean rice of any grit. Place in a pot or bowl and wash 3-4 times, rubbing grains gently between your fingers. Cover with at least 2 inches of water and let soak for 15-20 minutes, then drain.
- In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add cumin, cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon at once, stir for a minute, and add drained rice. Sauté carefully for 3-4 few minutes until most of the moisture is evaporated and the rice grains start to look translucent, approx. 5 minutes. (Do not brown!)
- Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste, then cover and bring to a boil for 15 minutes.
- When the water is half evaporated and you see little pits appearing on top of the rice, add the grated carrot, stir slowly and gently, then cover and let simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Keep a careful eye on it at this stage to make sure no rice is sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can test to see if it is done by taking a cooked grain and squishing it with your finger. If it is granular, it needs to cook a little more.You can also heat the oven to 180-200°F, and once you add the grated carrot, put the pot in the oven and let it cook for another half an hour. Make sure it is a pot that can handle oven heat—you don’t want melted handles on your best non-stick!
- Serve on a rice platter or dish and garnish with boiled eggs, fried onions, and cashew nuts.