Lime and Dill Rice with Pistachios from Vibrant India
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
for the turmeric rice
  • 1 cup basmati rice (makes about 4 cups cooked)
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
for the lime and dill rice with pistachios
  • 4 cups cooked turmeric rice
  • 2 tablespoons mild-flavored oil such as canola (I used coconut)
  • ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • pinch of asafetida (hing) powder
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal
  • 5 fresh curry leaves
  • 1 dried red chile, broken in half
  • 1 large shallot or ½ medium yellow onion - finely chopped
  • small bunch of dill - tough stalks removed, chopped
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sambar powder (optional)
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios - lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
  • juice of half a lime (about 1½ tablespoons), plus more as needed
serving options
Instructions
to make the turmeric rice
  1. Wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water, generously covered, for at least 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, using a fine-mesh sieve.
  2. Place rice and 1¾ cups water in a medium saucepan. Mix in the turmeric powder. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cover the saucepan and turn the heat to the lowest setting on your stove.
  3. Cook until the rice in tender and there is no water left in the pan, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the saucepan from the stove and leave it covered for 10 minutes, to allow the grains to separate. Fluff with a fork.
to make the lime and dill rice with pistachios
  1. Coat the bottom of a wok (I used a large sauté pan w/ a lid) with the oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add one black mustard seed. When the seed sizzles and pops, add the rest of the mustard seeds and asafetida. Keep a lid handy to cover the pan while the mustard seeds are popping. When the popping starts to subside (a few seconds), immediately add the chana dal and urad dal. Stir to coat with oil, and turn the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir the dals so they evenly roast, until they turn a reddish golden brown and smell nutty, less than a minute. Rub the curry leaves between you fingers a little to release their natural oils, and drop them and the dried red chile into the oil. Cover immediately, as moisture from the curry leaves will cause the oil to spatter. Then stir to evenly coat everything with oil, a few seconds.
  2. Add the shallot to the wok and fry over medium heat until softened, less than a minute. Add the dill, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and a couple tablespoons of water. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir from time to time. When cooked, the dill should be darker in color and not have as strong a flavor as raw dill. Add the sambar powder. Fry for another minute.
  3. Stir in the cooked rice and season with ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the pistachios, reserving a few for garnish. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice and garnish with the reserved pistachios. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hot with yogurt and hot pickle.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/lime-and-dill-rice-with-pistachios-from-vibrant-india-giveaway/