Recipes, Malawi-style, Part 1: Vegetable Rice Pilau and Zanzibari garam masala
Posted By Sika on June 22, 2009
I have had many requests for the recipes I use regularly. So, I’m going to write some of my favorites as well as the modifications I use to make them work in Malawi.
I’m going to post the recipe I got from this amazing book for Vegetable Pilau first, because it’s one of my favorites, it always get rave reviews, and it’s easier to make than the recipe looks, and way easier than how good it tastes. Also, Shannon was looking for vegetarian main dishes and I teased Joe about the existence of this recipe.
Zanzibari Garam Masala
Trust me when I say the pilau is excellent when you use store bought garam masala, but it is amazing when you use your own. Plus that way you can doctor it the way you want–I tend to up the cinnamon a bit and then sniff as the spices are roasting and modify some more.
1/2 oz cardamom pods
4 oz cumin seeds
4 oz coriander
2 oz turmeric
2 oz cinnamon sticks
2 oz cloves
2 oz ginger powder
2 oz black peppercorns
1/2 oz mace (optional, and I can’t find it in Malawi)
Roast all the ingredients on low heat for 5-6 minutes and grind them in a clean coffee grinder (unless you’re fond of coffee-flavoured garam masala and garam masala-flavoured coffee). Store in an airtight jar and the spices will keep for two months.
Or, Malawian style: Roast the ingredients on as low of a heat as you can manage, or take the pan on and off the heat, or balance only one edge of the pan on the heat source and roast slowly.
If you’ve splurged on a mortar and pestle, use that to grind the spices. If not, place the roasted and cooled spices in a thick ziplock baggie someone has lovingly sent you from home and a jumbo. Or place in a couple of thick jumbos. Roll back and forth over the bags with a carlsberg or wine or gin bottle. Check periodically to make sure the holes in the jumbos aren’t letting the spices escape. When they’re almost all crushed, start pounding the spices with the bottom of the bottle. Get out your aggression. Think of the iwes yelling “azungu, azungu!” if that helps.
Seal in an old, clean, blue band container.
Vegetable Pilau (serves 6)
2 cups rice
2 cups boiling water
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic paste*
2 tsps garam masala
1 cup coconut milk**
2T vegetable oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes***
2 carrots peeled and sliced
1 green pepper cut into small pieces (I usually use green beans instead, because I don’t like green pepper)
2 green chilies
salt to taste
Dry whole spices
3 cinnamon pieces
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cardamom pod
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes, then drain.
In the meantime, saute the chopped onions, garlic paste, garam masala, and the dry whole spices. Add all the other ingredients except coconut milk/water, rice, and water, and green beans if using them.
Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the drained rice, and the two cups of boiling water ad cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Add the coconut milk and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is almost ready. Add water if necessary (it will be).
Add the green beans, cover lightly and put in an oven and cook for 15-20 minutes at a medium temperature. Or, just cover and keep cooking on the stove for another 10-15 minutes on low heat, adding water and stirring when necessary.
*Malawian substitution: take about 6 cloves of garlic, sprinkle with salt, mince, and then smush with the side of the blade. Ta-da!
**Malawian substitution for when you really can’t be bothered carrying the heavy tins all the way from Blantyre or Lilongwe. Buy coconut milk powder if available, or buy dessicated coconut. fill a container with 1 cup of dessicated coconut and 1.5 cups water. Let soak while the rice is soaking. Make sure hands are clean, then pour out water and squish the dessicated coconut until you’ve got a cup of coconutty water. Not the same as coconut milk, but it helps.
***I wash well and don’t peel, ‘coz the nutrients are in the peel, people! Unless I’m using air potatoes, ‘coz the peel on them may or may not be poisonous.
No comments yet.