Vegetarian home cooking doesn't have to be difficult, after all in most parts of the world they do it everyday. There are plenty of choices available at good Asian shops or your local supermarket. Once the basic supplies are part of your pantry, the confusion often felt by a novice when preparing  vegetarian food is much alleviated.

Rice is a very versatile item to have in your pantry, and it does last a long time.
If you have a rice cooker, it can be cooked well in advance with the final touches done at the last minute when you return from work or the beach.

Basic Cooking Rice.
Long  grain brown rice takes less time and water to cook then short grain brown rice. Unlike white rice  you cannot use oil while cooking brown rice. Garnishes using oil can only be used after the rice is cooked.

Place 21/2 cups of  long grain brown rice in a fine sieve and rinse with cold water, unlike white rice, one rinse will do.

Place the rice in a rice cooker, flatten the rice and then fill water midway to your second knuckle, for long grain  and second knuckle for short grain, from the top of the rice. For white rice to the first knuckle. Make sure that the tip of your finger is barley  just touching the rice.

Before turning the rice cooker on, add  five bay leaves, three green cardamom, crushed, 4 cloves, 4 peppercorns  and salt to taste. Tern the rice cooker on and off you go to the beach or work which ever turns you on.

If you do not have a rice cooker, then you cannot go to the beach or precook the rice. You will have to cook it with the rest of your cooking if you want to have it hot and steaming.

Short grain brown rice takes about 40 min, Long grain about 30 min and white rice about 15 min one the flame. 

If you do not have a rice cooker, do everything  as above. Use a heavy-based pot, cover and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes, reduce heat to low till water has evaporated. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes with lid on, to finish cooking .

Coconut Rice

One cup brown rice
2 cups of first coconut milk
1 cup of second milk
2 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods crushed
4 bay leaves

All as above method, except double check that the amount of coconut milk is enough, using the finger method.  

Garnish rice with roasted desiccated. Just before serving  stir the roasted desiccated coconut  into the rice and sprinkle some on top. It produces a beautiful aroma.

Savory Rice  
Food of the God

As a young person living with my parents, Fridays was a special day, we used to get savory rice that was served to our Divine Mother Marima at our local temple.

For this dish you have to use long grain white rice.
2 1/2 cup rice
3 1/4
3 tablespoon ghee
2 dry chili seeded
2 cloves
4 green cardamom pods crushed
1" cinnamon bark
1 tablespoon tamarind
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seed.
1 teaspoon thinly sliced curry leave of 5 bay leaves

In a heavy-based pot, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add all the ingredients except rice and stir fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 3 min, then add  water and salt to taste and bring to boil on medium heat. Boil for 3 to 4 min. Reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed.
Stand for 10 minutes, with lid on, to all the rice to absorb excess moisture 
This  will make about 5 to 6 cups of cooked rice.

If using rice cooker, after frying all the ingredients,  place it in the rice cooker, add water, put the lid, turn the switch on and forget about it till dinner time.

Garnish.  Fried broken cashew  and sliced almonds in one tablespoon of  ghee and pour over the rice and cover for 10 minutes before serving

Home / Back / Bread  /Next Should you have any comments  with regards to the recipes please Email me Sri Kalima You may freely download the recipes and even share them  with other, but not to published without consent.

Last modified July 15th, 2000 copyright© IFC-NET 2000

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