My Grandma's Recipe: How to make...Cream of rice

Source :The Hindu:Nazreen Jehangir:19 Jan 2012

I learnt this dish, a family favourite, from my mother. 

Though it is made from simple ingredients it is rich in taste.

What you need

Curd - 11/2 litres

Broken basmati rice – 350 gm

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Milk - 250 ml

Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

For the stuffing

Chicken kheema - 250 gm

Onions, chopped - 2

Tomatoes, chopped - 3

Green chillies, finely chopped - 2

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder – 11/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

For tomato double ghatta

Tomatoes, finely chopped - 4

Onion, finely chopped - 1

Green chilli, finely chopped - 2

Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Pudina leaves – a few

Cooking instructions

Blend the basmati rice in a mixer for two minutes and make cream of rice. Sift and discard the flour. Wash the cream of rice (350 gm) and mix with curd, coconut, milk, salt and ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Stir occasionally. After 20 minutes when the dough becomes thick, switch off the stove and set aside.

In a pan heat oil, add chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, chicken kheema and salt and stir for five minutes. Then add turmeric, coriander powder, green chilli, red chilli and garam masala powder. Then add chopped tomatoes and allow the chicken to cook. When it is almost done add coriander leaves. Cook for three minutes till its dry.

Divide the cooked cream of rice dough into two portions. Grease a pan with ghee and lay half of the dough stuffed with the chicken filling over it. Add the remaining dough. Level it and bake in the oven for 50 minutes till golden brown. Cut into wedges. Mix the ingredients for tomato double ghatta in a bowl. Serve hot with tomato double ghatta.

Nazreen Jehangir is a homemaker who spends her free time trying out new dishes and experimenting with different flavours.