Almond Mint Rice

Almond Mint Rice

The cooking classes featuring Mangalorean Protestant Cooking that I started as a hobby is gaining in popularity and I now have people coming from all over the world to learn from me.  It's very exciting and I love meeting people with similar interests.  It's so nice to talk with those who share your passion and love food as much as you do.  This is one of the recipes I taught Marthijn and Anna from the Netherlands.

The Recipe:

2 cups basmathi rice; 1 large onion sliced fine; 2 inch piece of ginger, minced; a salt to taste; 2 tbsp olive oil; a handful of mint leaves; 3 cloves, 3 cardamoms and a piece of cinnamon;  a few nuts- almonds or cashew nuts for garnish.

Wash the rice in running water 3 times and drain.  Heat oil in a pan and saute onions and ginger for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir fry gently till dry and grains are coated with the oil.  Add salt to taste. Transfer to rice cooker , add mint leaves and cook till done.   Garnish with nuts and serve piping hot with the rest of the menu.

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The Eighth Recipe For Christmas

                                                          Addictive Nuts
Who does not love to munch on cashew nuts.? It is a favourite with all ages and especially at Christmas when one does not need an excuse to indulge. In our house there is always a tussle between those with sweet tooths and those without. Try both these quick to ,make nuts and store them in your memory of addictive flavours.

Recipe No 8:  Christmas Munchies

Pepper Chilli Nuts For The Have Nots
1/2 kg cashewnuts; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; ¼ tsp chilli powder; ¼ tsp jeera powder

Heat the olive oil and stir fry cashewnuts on a medium flame until evenly brown. Drain on kitchen paper and add salt, pepper, chilli and jeera powders. Adjust to taste. Cool completely and store in air tight containers.Supposed to last for a month but will get over much earlier.

Honey Coated Crispy Nuts For The Sweet Tooths  This is a Chinese favourite and I fell victim to it when I had it for the first time 17 years ago.

1 cup almonds; 1 cup cashew nuts; 1 tsp white sesame seeds,toasted

Line a tray with baking paper and spread 1 cup each of almonds and cashew nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice in between. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Heat a pan, add 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp of water, 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp honey. Stir until the mixture begins to bubble.

Simmer 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp mixed spices, 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Add the nuts and sesame seeds and cook for 3-4 minutes or till the liquid is completely absorbed and the nuts shiny. Turn off heat. Transfer to the baking sheet, cool and separate the nuts with a fork. Store in an air tight container. Serve as a starter or as an in between snack.