Kurd Rice (Dahiwale Chawal)
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup chopped peeled ripe mango
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/4 cup unsalted cashews, chopped
1 Tbsp. slivered peeled fresh ginger
15 curry leaves, crushed
2 dried chiles de arbol
Instructions:
Rinse the rice in 2 changes of cold water, then drain. Bring the rice and 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the oil and salt, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork.
Spoon the rice into a large bowl, then let it cool to room temperature. Add the yogurt, mango, buttermilk and cilantro, then stir gently.
Heat the ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook for 3 minutes or until the seeds begin to pop. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Pour over the rice mixture, discarding the chiles, if desired. Serve immediately.
Yields 14 servings.
Recipe from Monica Bhide, “Cooking Light Magazine” June 2005.