Kaaliyaa Birinjee

Kaaliyaa Birinjee is indeed a very special rice dish. Onions, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves make it aromatic while the coconut milk lends it a lovely creaminess. It’s perfect with the spicy chicken curry, Miruhulee Kukulhu.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• ¼ tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 large onion
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• ¾ cup water or as needed (for infusing with spices)
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 3-inch piece of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 ½ cups water (for cooking the rice)
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly.
2. Place the rice in a bowl, add and combine the cumin seeds, and set it aside.
3. Slice the onions and ginger thinly.
4. Place the onions and ginger in a small bowl, add ½ cup of water to it, cover, and keep for around an hour. For this step you’d actually need water enough to cover the onions and ginger. For us it worked with half a cup, but depending on the size of the bowl you are using, you might need to use more or less.
5. Place the cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon in a small bowl and add ¼ cup of water. Cover and keep for around an hour. As with the onions and ginger, for this step too, the amount of water you need might vary from us.
6. After letting the onions and ginger, as well as the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sit in the water bowls for about an hour, heat up the ghee in a pot over medium heat.
7. Add the onions and ginger to the pot. Use your fingers to squeeze out the excess water before you put them in. And also, don’t throw away the water as we are going to be using that later.
8. Add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to the pot too and as with the onion mixture, reserve the water for later use.
9. While stirring, cook the mixture until the onions soften and start to take on a slight brownish tint.
10. Add the rice and cumin mixture. And stir fry for around 2 minutes.
11. Add the coconut milk, salt and water. Mix everything together.
12. Put the lid on and let it cook until all the water has evaporated.
13. Add in the onion and ginger infused water and the cinnamon, cardamom and clove infused water. Mix to combine and let the water evaporate again; that’s going to happen really fast, and that’s it.