While working on an aquafaba-based soufflé cake, I was relying on Cafe Spice's Channa Masala with Basmati Lemon Rice. I will continue to buy it when I can! But after so many purchases, I needed to enjoy it at ⅕ the price.
My basmati lemon rice is a copycat recipe. And although I copied an authentic Indian product with authentic Indian ingredients from an authentic Indian grocery store, I could never claim anything I do to be authentically Indian.
I can claim conducting research from authentic Indian bloggers however! My ingredients came from the Cafe Spice package; my techniques, mainly from:
add peanuts? use more dal or mustard seeds?
There are plenty of ways to finish this question! The answer is that I recreated a product I love, not a tradition of my own. And since there are no peanuts in my prototype, for instance, there are none in my recreation either.
TL; DR - yes, briefly.
I finally tested some advice I encountered years ago:
If your rice came from a burlap sack, rinse it; plastic bag, don't.
I no longer recall who told me that, but I trusted them enough to follow these words blindly for decades! Now, I can confidently say that it's true - and that rice rinsing isn't the 20-minute task I thought it was.
Even plastic bagged - Read: likely prerinsed. - rice benefits from a brief, 2-minute swishing. Rinsed rice is not only more uniformly white, but also easier to fluff!
I copied the Channa Masala by Cafe Spice too.
"Why didn't you add peanuts? or use more dal and/or mustard seeds?"
These are but a few fair questions! The answer to them all is that I recreated a product I love, not a tradition of my own.
serves 2-4
Combine both dals in a sm bowl. Cover with about ¼ cup (56 mL/g) boiling water, then set aside to soak approximately 20-30 min.
Meanwhile, set rice in a sieve under cool running water. Gently jostle with fingers 1-3 min, until water runs clearer (not necessarily clear). Place into a med pot.
Pour exactly 1 ½ cups (340 mL/g) water over rice. Bring to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to lo, then cook 15 min. Remove from heat and allow to rest 10 min.
Uncover and fluff rice with a fork, then evenly spread on a baking sheet to cool. Wipe pot clean in preparation for Step 6.
Drain dals. Spread on a kitchen towel or double layer of paper towels, then pat dry and set aside.
In reserved pot, heat oil over med heat. Sprinkle in mustard seeds and wait 1-2 min, until they crackle, then transfer in dals. Finally, add chili and saute 2-3 min, until everything is fragrant and toasted. Take off heat and set aside.
Juice lemon as tempering slightly cools. Whisk salt and turmeric into lemon juice, then whisk seasoned lemon juice into tempering. Discard chili.
Return rice to pot and mix well. Wait about 10-15 min, or as long as it takes to make chana masala, for flavors to meld before serving.
Serve with chana masala!
Kale yes, I'm soy excited you're here! My name is Christi, and sharing food brings me even more happiness than puns.
Does It Vegan? is a question for conventional recipes as well as an answer for my career. Because no matter what else I've been, I've been a plant-based cook who thrives on connecting with people through their favorite foods.
Gratitude is the most scrumptious seasoning!
Thank You ♥
From the Bottom of My Hearth, Christi of Does It Vegan?
