This is a tangy rice dish. Unique to the Jews, it is prepared mainly during festivals and events of celebration.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • ½ cup peanuts or cashew nuts
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp chickpea lentils
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 green chillies, chopped
  • Juice of 1 large lime
  • A few peppercorns
  • A large pinch of cumin seeds
  • Coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation

  1. Cook the rice with the turmeric and salt and keep aside.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the lentils, nuts, cumin, coriander and pepper on low flame.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook well ensuring not to burn the ginger.
  4. Remove from the heat and cool. Pour the mixture over the rice and sprinkle the limejuice. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional).

Excerpted with permission from Eating With History: Ancient Trade-Influenced Cuisines of Kerala, Tanya Abraham, Niyogi Books.

Written by

Tanya Abraham

Tanya Abraham is the curator and director of Kashi Art Gallery in Kochi and the founder of the NGO The Art Outreach Society. Tanya was born and raised in Fort Kochi, a town of cultural flavour and antiquity, where her family has been living for the past eight generations. Born to parents of two different Christian communities, the differences in traditions and religious influences always fascinated her. An art curator, educator and writer, she writes on subjects she is passionate about; her previous book was on the history and heritage of her hometown Fort Kochi.

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