Kuska (a.k.a. Ghee rice)

This is a popular south Indian rice dish and almost every household makes is differently.  I learnt how to do this from my MIL. It is one of my husbands favorites and he wouldn't stop until I learnt to cook this ‘just like mom used to make’ (insert rolling eyes here). This goes famously with kurma. Try it out…you will know what I mean.

Ingredients

3 cups Basmati rice
1 – 16oz can of lite coconut milk
1/2 cup cashews and /or almonds
2 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
2 green chilies
1” – cinnamon, 3 – cardamom, 3 – cloves, 1 small bay leave ( whole spices)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and mint
1  tablespoon Ghee
2 tablespoon cooking oil or butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions (optional)
Salt to taste
4 cups of Water

Method

Wash and soak  the rice in enough water for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot or pan that has a tight lid. When the oil is hot add the whole spices and fry them for 30 seconds. If using onions add them now along with the slit green chilies and saute until golden brown and the add the ginger and garlic paste. Fry together for 2 minutes. Then add garam masala, salt and the chopped cilantro & mint. Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.
Mix water and coconut milk together ( all together 6 cups of liquid) and pour that into the pot. Bring it to a boil. Strain the soaking rice and add it to the pot. Mix well and reduce heat to medium. Cook rice in the liquid uncovered until you only see bubbles of liquid on top( 90% of water should have absorbed).

In the meantime, shallow fry the nuts in ghee separately and add it to the top of the rice and then close the pan with a lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Then switch off the flame and let the rice rest and finish cooking in the steam ( do not open the lid yet!)

After letting the rice rest for 15 minutes, open the lid and slowly mix the rice with the fork or the back end of a serving spoon. Serve hot with kurma.