Lentils and Rice (Mujadara)

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• ½ cup brown lentils whole masoor dal (pre soak for 24 hours)
• 1.25 cups water Use 2 cups if cooking on a stovetop
• ½ cup onions sliced
• ½ cup carrots chopped
• ½ cup green beans chopped
• 2 tablespoon oil Olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 green chili optional (I left this out and put a dash of dried red chili peppers in)
• ½ teaspoon ginger and garlic paste (didn't have this so I grated some ginger and garlic)
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoon yogurt
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder optional
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 4 green cardamom
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon
• Salt to taste

Instant Pot instructions

•  Start the Instant pot in saute mode.
• Once the pot gets heated, add oil. To the heated oil, add the whole spices ( cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves).
• Add onions and mix it well. Now add ginger garlic paste and mix everything.
• Once onions are slightly brown, add chopped carrots and green beans. You can add other veggies like potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas as well.
• Mix everything well and let the veggies fry for 2 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder and red chili powder if you are using them. Else adjust green chili according to your spice preference.
• Wash the soaked brown lentils and drain the water completely. Now add these lentils to the veggies mixture and give a good stir. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Now add 3 tablespoons of yogurt.
• Drain the water from soaked rice and add it to this mixture. Add required salt and water.
• Cancel the saute mode. Close the lid and seal the venting knob. Start the Instant pot in manual or pressure cook mode and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. 
• Once done, wait for 5 minutes and do a manual pressure release. 
• Once the pressure is released completely, open the lid. Add chopped coriander leaves and fluff the rice. Keep it aside for 10 minutes, and brown lentils rice pilaf is ready to serve!

Cafe Rio - Cilantro Lime Rice

 

• Ingredients:
• 2 Cups Rice
• 4 Cups Water
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Chicken Bouillon
• 1 Clove Garlic minced
• 1 Handful cilantro chopped
• 1/2 Lime juiced
• 1 Can Diced Green Chiles 4oz

• 
  Pour everything in a rice cooker and follow product instructions, or in a pot, heat to a boil and then add the lid and turn down to low for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
• Remove the lid, stir to combine everything and serve immediately.

Sushi Rice

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (“sushi rice”)
• 2 cups water
• 4-inch square of kombu (optional) (Ieft this out)
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar (or honey)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse the rice. Rinse the rice with cold water in a large fine mesh strainer for 1-2 minutes, or until the water runs very clear.  Drain well.
2. Cook the rice. See details in the notes below for how to cook the rice either on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in the Instant Pot.
3. Make the sushi vinegar. While the rice is cooking, heat the rice vinegar, sugar and sea salt together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture nearly reaches a simmer.  Remove from heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  (Alternately, you can just heat the mixture in the microwave if you prefer.)
4. Season the rice. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the rice immediately to a large mixing bowl and drizzle it evenly with the sushi vinegar. Use a spatula to very gently fold the rice — more of a slicing and lifting motion, rather than stirring and smooshing — until the vinegar is evenly mixed into the rice.
5. Cool. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp towel so that it is touching the surface of the rice, which will help prevent the rice from drying out. Let it cool on the counter (or in the refrigerator) until it reaches room temperature.
6. Serve. Use the rice immediately in a recipe, or transfer to an airtight food storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Nasi Goreng

I am part Indonesian and grew up eating lots of Indonesian dishes. I love Indonesian food (actually I love all Asian food). There isn't really one way to make Nasi Goreng. Indonesians actually just make it by putting together whatever leftovers they have laying around. So you are going to find lots of different versions of this dish. This is one way I make it but it always tastes a little different. I don't really have amounts, I just throw it together. But here is the idea. 

Ingredients:

Onion (small)
Garlic
Chili's (Sambal)
Salt
2 Eggs
Rice (Cooked and cooled for several hours or day old)
Left over seasoned chicken from Chicken Satay
Ketjap Manis (Sweet thick soysauce)
Soy sauce
Cole slaw mix

Fried eggs

Put the cut up onion, garlic, salt and some sambal in a mortar and pestle and turn it into a mush. Heat up some oil in a wok and saute the mixture. While this is going push the mixture to the side and put 2 eggs into the wok and fry them up eventually mixing them with the spices. When I made a last time I added some left over seasoned chicken that was too small to put on a skewer for the satay. Next add the cooled dried rice. Make sure all the rice is coated with the mixture. Then add the Ketjap Manis. Again make sure the rice is nicely coated. Add a little regular soy sauce. I like to add some cole slaw mix just to add some vegetables. You can add any vegetable you have laying around. 

Cook up a some fried eggs to serve with the Nasi. I also like to add cucumber, tomato, fried onions, and Krupoek (shrimp chips) as a side. We also serve it with Peanut sauce and Chicken Satay. 

Plain rice (well not so plain)

 I love to flavor my rice just a little and we still call it plain rice. 

(you off course mix everything together before eating)

I mostly cook with jasmine rice. When it is done cooking I add the following:

Butter
Salt
Granulated garlic
Lime Juice (just used bottled, so I always have it on hand)

This recipe makes rice so much better!

Peruvian style Rice

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (14 oz/400 g) white long-grain rice
3 teaspoons salt

Directions for peruvian rice:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and fry for 2 minutes until softened but not browned.

Pour over 3 1/2 cups (23 fl oz/850 ml) water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and salt to the pan and stir together. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, drizzle over the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil, and stir together with a fork. Re-cover the pan and let stand for 2 minutes until the rice has achieved the desired consistency. The rice should be cooked but not too soft or sticky, and the grains should separate easily.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients: 

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice

Directions
In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Lemon Rice

 We eat love to eat this with Chicken Vegetable Kebabs. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of basmati rice (or any long grain rice) (uncooked)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (just over 1 cup chopped onions)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lemons, juice of (PLUS zest of 1 lemon)
3 cups of water

3 teaspoon of chicken bouillon
dried parsley

2 tablespoons of butter 

Wash rice well and then soak it for about 15 to 20 minutes in plenty of cold water (enough to cover the rice by 1 inch). You should be able to easily break a grain of rice by simply placing it between your thumb and index finger. Drain well.

Heat about 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large sauce pan with a lid (like this one) until oil is shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and toss around for a bit. 
Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (it should reduce a little), then turn heat to low. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is done (liquid should be fully absorbed and rice should be tender but not sticky.)
Remove rice from heat. For best results, leave it covered and do not disturb rice for about 10 minutes or so.
Uncover and stir in parsley, and lemon zest and butter. Enjoy!

Indian Style Basmati Rice

 Ingredients:

1 ½ cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick (I used a pinch of ground cinnamon)
2 pods green cardamom (I left these out since I didn't have them)
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 ½ cups water
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Step 1
Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes.

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and stir into the pot. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Add salt and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I use jasmine rice)

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup chopped onion

½ cup tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.