Serves: 4
Total Calories: 365

1 tablespoon Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste (or store-bought)
10 to 12 dried morel mushrooms
1/2 cup Blanching Raw Nuts, Pistachios ..........Click the Edit tab and select this entry to follow recipe instructions.
1 1/4 cups basmati rice, , sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
2 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted ghee
2 sticks cinnamon (1-inch each), broken
5 to 7 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
6 (4-inch squares) silver leaves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

1. Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Wash then soak the morel mushrooms in water to cover by 2 inches, 1 hour or longer. Drain (saving the water) and wash under running water to remove any loosened dirt. Then slice each mushroom into thin 1/4-inch rings. Meanwhile, blanch the pistachios.

2. Strain the mushroom water through paper towels and use it, cup for cup, in place of plain water to soak and cook the rice. In a medium bowl, soak the rice in the stained mushroom water, about 30 minutes.

3. Heat the ghee (or oil) in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and black peppercorns until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the cumin, then mix in the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mint leaves, then mix in the rice with the water it was soaking in, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan (partially at first, until the foam subsides, then snugly), and cook until all the water has been absorbed but the rice is still not fully cooked, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Carefully mix in the mushroom rings, cilantro, and half the pistachios, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the rice is done, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest undisturbed about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, fluff with a fork, garnish with the silver leaves (if using), the reserved pistachios and the garam masala, and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 365
Calories from Fat: 60

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