Buttered Steamed rice
SADA CHAVAL
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
Though rice is generally steamed in a tightly closed pan over direct
heat, in this recipe I recommend a “double-steamed” procedure. Measure
rice and water rest in a closed pan which rests in a larger steamer
pan. Steam surrounds the entire closed rice pan, producing very soft,
evenly cooked rice with well- separated, unsplit grains.
My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, was expert in all kitchen
matters and very particular about his daily steamed rice. One cooking
utensil which always accompanied him in his world travels was a
three-tiered brass steamer, known simply as “Prabhupada’s cooker” by
his resident cooks. At each port o entry, the cooker was unpacked and
polished until it shone like gold. An entire lunch for four people –dal
or Shukta in the bottom chamber, assorted vegetables in the middle and
double-steamed rice in the top –cooked in about 45 minutes. The
tempered heat in the top of the steamer yielded the butter-soft grains
he preferred.
More
and more, cooks catalogs and better cookware stores are offering two
and three-tiered steamers. Italian stainless steel steamers are
available in various sizes and though costly, will prove invaluable.
Calphalon and enamel steamers are also excellent. Those who don’t
foresee using steamers on a regular basis can improvise by making a
rice steamer with available pots and pans. I’ve used a covered Pyrex
dish resting on a cake rack in an electric frying pan filled with water
½ inch (1.5 cm) deep. Or try putting any 4-cup (1 liter) ovenware dish
with a tight-fitting lid on a vegetable steaming rack or steaming
trivet inside a 5-6 quart/liter pot filled with water 1 inch (2.5 cm)
deep. This will suffice for steaming up to 2 cups (180 g) of raw rice.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes
Serve: 3 or 4, depending on accompanying dishes
1 cup (95 g) basmati or other long-grain white rice
1 ½ -1 ¾ cups (160-420 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1-2 table spoons (15-30 ml) ghee or butter (optional)
1. If basmati rice is used, clean, wash, soak, and drain as explained.
2.
Combine the water (or reserved soaking water if you are using
basmati rice), salt, half of the ghee or butter and the rice in a pan
or dish capable of being steamed. Cover tightly with heavy-weight
aluminum foil or a secure lid.
3. Set up your
steaming equipment in any pan that can easily hold the rice dish. Bring
the water to a boil. Add your steaming tier to the steamer, or place a
trivet in the large pan which clears the water by at least ½ inch (1.5
cm). Reduce the heat to low once the water boils. Place the covered
rice in the steamer or on the trivet and cover the steaming pan. Cook
the rice very slowly over simmering water for 35-45 minutes, depending
on the texture desired. Remove the rice from the heat, uncover, add the
remaining ghee or a butter pat and gently fluff with a fork.