Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Whole time: 20 minutes
A number of years again, whereas I used to be visiting household in Ahmedabad, my father and I went to have tea along with his neighbors. The Sastrys are from the South Indian state of Karnataka. Whereas we had been having tea and the standard cookies and different compulsory snacks and making small speak, their elementary college–aged kids got here dwelling from college. Mrs. Sastry excused herself to make a snack for the kids. I heard her chopping one thing within the kitchen and provided to assist. She mentioned no, so I requested if I may watch her as she put collectively this snack. She mentioned sure.
She heated up a beneficiant glug of ghee in a wok, then she added mustard seeds, sliced ginger, shallots, curry leaves, and a few scorching chiles. To this she added a handful of chopped, roasted peanuts, a beneficiant pinch of masala powder, and a few cups of cooked rice—presumably leftover from lunch—and gave all the pieces a great toss. She squeezed some recent lemon juice on prime and garnished it with chopped cilantro. She then put some in bowls for the children, who sat down and ate it with glee.
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ghee (store-purchased or do-it-yourself), divided
1 teaspoon urad dal (break up black lentils)
1 teaspoon chana dal (it’s possible you’ll discover this labeled as “break up Desi chickpeas” or “break up gram.”)
5 tablespoons roasted peanuts, divided
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons shredded, dried, unsweetened coconut
3 dried red chiles de árbol, stemmed
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, reduce in half lengthwise
2 cups|300 grams cooked and cooled long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch granulated sugar
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup|8 grams chopped recent cilantro, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
- Warmth 1 teaspoon ghee in a skillet over medium warmth. When the ghee is shimmering, add the urad dal, chana dal, 2 tablespoons peanuts, cumin seeds, coconut, and dried chiles. Stir and prepare dinner till all the pieces is flippantly toasted and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Take away from the warmth and when cool sufficient to deal with, grind in a spice grinder or espresso grinder, or with a mortar and pestle. Set this spice combine apart.
- Warmth the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium warmth till very aromatic. Add the mustard seeds and prepare dinner till they begin popping, about 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves and stir. Add the shallots, ginger, serrano, and remaining 3 tablespoons peanuts and blend nicely. Prepare dinner till the shallots are smooth, 3 to five minutes. Add the rice and the spice combine, stirring gently in order to not break the rice grains. Add the salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Prepare dinner, gently tossing all the pieces collectively for five to 7 minutes, till the rice is heated by way of. Garnish particular person servings with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
Excerpted from I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef by Vishwesh Bhatt. Copyright © 2022 by Vishwesh Bhatt. Used with permission of the writer, W. W. Norton & Firm, Inc. All rights reserved.
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