Simple But Delicious
Fall is finally here, for those who have been postponing soup. The weather here is very pleasant with soft sunshine during the day and low temperatures, in single digits, during the night. Life has been a bit hectic for me. I have almost forgotten what my blog looks like. I wonder what life is like for you, wherever you are. I hope everything is as per your wishes and expectations..
Yesterday I made a very simple rice dish with cardamom, cloves and turmeric. Cardamom (or cardamon) is the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. There are basically two types of cardamons: the one with light green smaller pods ( Elettaria cardamomum), also known as true cardomon or green cardamom, and the one with larger dark brown pods (genus Amomum), also known as brown cardamom, black cardamom, Bengal cardamom or Java cardamom). Cardamom is mainly used for flavouring beverages like coffee and tea; baked goods, confectionary, pastries, and savoury foods like curries, rice, vegetables and meat dishes.
I coloured the rice with turmeric and added some green peas to contrast the colour. If you want a more unique flavour, you can use a few threads of saffron, the most expensive spice. If you ever try this rice, I hope you’ll enjoy it.
- Ingredients
- 300g (1½ cups) basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee or cooking oil (you can reduce amount if you wish)
- I-2 teaspoons fennel seeds (I used 1½ teaspoons)
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
- 6 cardamon pods, split open at the top
- ¼-½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large onion, moon sliced
- 150g (1 cup, 6oz) green peas (I used frozen)
- ½-1 teaspoon turmeric (how yellow do you want the rice? I like mine very light yellow so I added ½ teaspoon)
- Salt to taste
- 560ml (2¼ cups, 19fl. oz) water or stock, if you prefer
Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start. Oops I forgot rice and green peas…sorry
Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, set aside.
Heat the oil or ghee in a large non-stick pan. Fry fennel seeds over medium heat until browned.
Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamons, chilli flakes and bay leaves. Stir briefly and add the onions. Fry the onions until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Add the rice, peas, turmeric and and salt
And stir and fry for 5 minutes, until the rice is fairly dry. Lower the heat in the last 2 minutes.
Add water (or stock) and bring to a rolling boil.
Cover the pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer for 12 minutes. Please do not lift the lid during the twelve minutes, then remove from heat and leave undisturbed for a further 12 minutes.
Lift the lid, fluff the rice and serve immediately.
I enjoyed eating this rice
Hope you do too!
Fried Rice with Fennel Seeds and Peas
Preparation time: 5 minutes plus time needed to soak, Cooking time: 25-30 minutes; Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 300g (1½ cups) basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons ghee or cooking oil (you can reduce amount if you wish)
- I-2 teaspoon fennel seeds (I used 1½ teaspoons)
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
- 6 cardamon pods, split open at the top
- ¼-½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large onion, moon sliced
- 150g (1 cup, 6oz) green peas (I used frozen)
- ½-1 teaspoons turmeric (how yellow do you want the rice? I like mine very light yellow so I added ½ teaspoon)
- Salt to taste
- 560ml (2¼ cups, 19fl. oz) water or stock, if you prefer
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, set aside.
- Heat the oil or ghee in a large non-stick pan. Fry fennel seeds over medium heat until browned.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamons, chilli flakes and bay leaves. Stir briefly and add the onions. Fry the onions until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Add the rice, peas, turmeric and and salt, stir and fry for 5 minutes, until the rice is fairly dry. Lower the heat in the last 2 minutes.
- Add water (or stock) and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 12 minutes. Please do not lift the lid during the twelve minutes.
- Remove from heat and leave undisturbed for a further 12 minutes. Lift the lid, fluff the rice and serve immediately.
Points to note:
- The water will drastically reduce in the first six minutes. Just lower the heat and make sure it doesn’t burn at the bottom- Do not lift the lid.
- For this recipe I used 180ml (⅔ cup, 6.5 fl oz) water for every 100g (½ cup) of rice
- If you prefer less oil, reduce it. I used 2½ tablespoons.
- You can also use other seeds like Ajowain, caraway or cumin or any other aromatic seeds. I love fennel seeds because my Indian friends in elementary school used to bring sweets peppered with fennel seeds to school.
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
I can practically smell the fragrance wafting out of that freshly uncovered pot! Looks delicious; I will definitely try this.
Hi,
Don’t worry. I can smell it too. I love basmati rice. It can be cooked in so many different ways resulting in so many flavours. It’s my favourite carbohydrate.
Thanks for visiting me!
Liz
Love rice and peas!
Me too!
Wow, the rice looks so beautiful and flavourful! Gorgeous combination of spices and a great way to cook basmati. 🙂
Dear Miss Winnie,
Thanks so much for complimenting. It tasted really nice. Wish you a lovely week!
Liz
Wow – what an exotic combination of flavors – I bet your kitchen smelled great !!
Hi Cecile,
Oh yes the kitchen smelt great and the muffins tasted very nice. Thanks for complimenting.
Liz
You say it is simple but it is not! These flavours & cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, etc in here make it to the next level, Liz! Waw even!
I would serve roasted fish alongside this tasty dish! Yummmmm! I can’t wait to make it! x
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for visiting me so many times even though i have dragged my feet. I think fish is a great idea since I never seem to eat fish with rice. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for the visit!
Liz
My hubby and I love fried rice, in fact I must admit when I make it at home it’s become rather boring…the same ingredients. Your version is exactly what I need to try. I can’t wait.
Hi Christy,
So sorry I took so long to respond. I love rice and I keep on trying different ingredients. Yesterday I made some spicy rice with lentils. It was so good…I had the leftovers for lunch today. I shall be posting it soon. Enjoy yours when you try it and wish you a fabulous weekend.
Liz
This looks delicious. Simple, tasty and healthy is always a great combination. Have a great weekend.
Hi Lignum,
Thanks so much. The rice was delicious. Have a wonderful weekend!
Liz
I make an Indian Pilau Rice that is very similar to this Liz. It is divine and so easy to make. I use it as an accompaniment to my spicy peri-peri chicken but could eat it on it’s own any day of the week 😀
Hi Cathy and Chucky
Could I have the rice recipe that you make? and do you have a recipe for peri-peri chicken? I would love to eat that with some naan. You make me feel hungry because I haven’t had my dinner tonight..Have a fantastic weekend!
Liz
Ooh sorry for the slow reply Liz. I haven’t been on for a few days. Of course you can have the recipe for the rice. The chicken Peri-Peri is a humungous cheat but I love it. I just get a bottle of Nandos Peri-Peri marinade and whack it the bag with my chicken pieces. Meets all my lip smacking requirements until I find a better recipe. I’ll blog the Indian Pilau rice. It is so easy and a brilliant side dish or main if your after a vego tea 😀
Hi Cathy and Chucky,
No worries. Sometimes life gets so busy, I understand. Okay, I doubt that we have Nandos here. I shall wait for the Pilau rice. Enjoy the week and thanks for stopping by.
Liz
Lovely! Don’t miss my contest on eggplants! 🙂 ostriche
Hi,
Let me have a glimpse just now. I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. Thanks for giving me a shout. Best wishes and enjoy your weekend!
Liz
I love fried rice, especially without any egg in it. I like to experiment with the ingredients too as this is such a versatile dish; fennel – interesting 🙂
Hi Aunt Juju,
I love fried rice too, with everything, egg, bacon, chicken veggies, the list is endless. Fennel seeds is one of my favourite spices. I just love it. Wish you a fabulous weekend.
Liz
Your recipe is very unique and creative – it is on my “to make” list 🙂 Have a great weekend – I love the Fall weather here in Michigan 🙂
Our fall weather is great too. Lovely and soft sunshine, very cool evenings. I just love it. Enjoy your Sunday. Best Regards!
Liz
Hello Liz,
Thanks for liking one of my recipes at Recipes for a Healthy You
This recipe you have shared (Fried Rice with Fennel Seeds and Peas) is very delectable. I am going to try and prepare it. Very delicious!!
My favorite time is also cooking, it relieves stress and makes you feel good knowing you are cooking something good and healthy for your family and others.
I look forward to more from My Favorite Pastime.
You’re invited as well to Savor the Food and Your health where we place articles and information about how food correlates to a healthy you.
Regards,
Randy
Hi Randy,
Thanks for complimenting the recipe and please note all your comments were held in the spam queue (you might want to avoid adding too many links to websites because sometimes, when I’m tired, I just empty the spam queue without checking).Thanks for inviting me to Savor the Food. I look forward to browsing. Have a lovely weekend.
Liz
I think i’m eating fried rice almost a million times, but none of them with fennel seed,
sounds tempting to try!
Hi Dedy,
I have just been admiring the fish scales, ahem! Yes Fennel seeds. I simply love fennel seeds they are so great with rice and everyone in my family loves them too. Thanks so much for teaching me something new about fish scales, today. I wish you a wonderful weekend, ahead!
Liz
Very nice recipe and presentation. Will be trying out this one as its a bit different from my normal style of foods/cooking i.e. this has that Indian-style blend of spices with the rice. Hope all is well for you too 🙂
Hi Chad,
It’s always a pleasure to read from you and to visit your blog too. I am glad you’ll be trying it out. I hope you’ll enjoy it. You are such a wonderful cook and I admire all those lovely dishes you prepare. Are you getting ready for the move? Is it in October? Wish you a happy moving and thanks so much for popping by.
LIz
It is always a pleasure reading your posts and seeing some amazing recipes (really love when you post some of the cakes and treats). I am currently in “packing mode” as I move into the new place on the 9th so its coming soon.
Hi Chad,
Ouch I’m just a mother of four trying to cook…but I’m glad you love some of the things I make. Glad to hear you’re in the packing mode and wish you all the best in your move and I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy your new place. I also look forward to breakfast, pastry and desserts. They are my ultimate favourites. Have a lovely day, Chad, and please don’t hibernate (LOL). Best wishes!
Liz
What a pretty and flavorful rice dish…love it.
Hi Karen,
I love it too. Have wonderful end of week!
Liz
Hi, Liz!
The fried rice looks so good!
Green cardamon is rare and expensive here, but the white one is as cheap as air. Sometimes, the spice sellers give them for free (as a bonus) if I buy many things from her. 😀
Hi Hari,
You’ve left me cracking. The white one is so cheap you even get it free? wow. That sure does confirm it’s cheapness and abundance. I love green cardamon. It’s very special. And I love hot tea spiced with cardamon, ginger and a tinge of cloves. Tastes wonderful. Have a lovely evening, Hari, It was a pleasure reading from you!
Liz
Isn’t it a bit weird that the white one is so abundant but the green one is like super rare? I cannot even find it in my hometown. I have to take one hour bus ride to a big supermarket where they sell imported products. 😉
Hi Hari,
Oh yes that’s quite true. Even now I have more white than green cardamoms in my pantry. I buy mine in little India in Toronto. I am sure you are now asleep Hari. Have a wonderful Friday.
Liz
This looks lovely. I rarely seem to use cardamom but like it. Might need to change that soon. My husband would love this, especially since I rarely make rice dishes…not enough fiber for me and too many empty carbs. Such a hassle having to watch what I eat! Definitely worth a splurge meal though.
Hi Mama D,
I love Cardamon. It’s one of my favourite spices although the true one is very expensive. I use it for tea, rice, curries, pancakes, cakes and many others. I just love the smell of cardamon. It’s so unique and distinct. You could never miss it. I love white rice, too. I just serve it with lots of veggies on the side and am good to go. Thanks for visiting and wish you a wonderful day. I bet you are more or less eating lunch right now? Enjoy the rest of the day!
LIz
I put tons of veggies on the rice or in stir fry and go light on the rice for me, heavier for the guys. It works for us! Cardamom does indeed smell wonderful. I have your curry meatball recipe planned for dinner tomorrow, can’t wait. We had an early release day at school today so the boys are already all home. They are playing while I am baking bread. Last time I made this recipe I didn’t have time to photograph it….seems to happen a lot lately. Crazy busy, can’t imagine it with after school activities and sports like you have. Ah, one day they will at least all be in school all day!
Hi Mama D,
I love the way you just bake bread several times I week. I am still in the procrastinating mode. I have lots of pending posts that I want to clear. I hope you managed to bake and take good photos for the blog. I also hope you enjoy the curry meatball recipe. I really enjoyed it. Don’t worry. time flies real fast, soon they’ll all be gone for a full day. Wish you a fantastic weekend!
Liz
It really isn’t as difficult or time consuming as I expected. Timing can be tricky though, need to arrange rising and baking times around school bus pickup!
You are a remarkable mum. I really admire how you juggle everything and still have time to cook nice meals for your family. Enjoy your Sunday!
Oh we have our share of chaos too! Somehow moms just have to manage it all or nothing would get done!
I love your spirit. It’s very encouraging. Have a good night!
Oh yeah, we all LOVED the curry meatball recipe. I added carrots to the sauce for extra veg, used less curry paste because mine was hot and I had to make it edible for the kids! Also used a jalapeño since I was out of red peppers. We had it over coconut lime rice last night. Will be having the leftover meatballs tonight appetizer style. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Thanks so much for making and liking the curry meatball recipe. I really appreciate the time and effort you took to make it and I’m so happy that you loved it after giving it a twist. I enjoyed eating it too. I wish you a lovely Sunday. Best Regards,
Liz
Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe! Hope you are enjoying the end of the weekend.
Oh yes, absolutely. I have just come back from the laundromat. I got hooked completely. We are getting ready for school, tomorrow. Thanks so much for your friendship. Your visit here is always so much appreciated. Xoxo to the boys. Have a fabulous week!
a very unique way to photograph a dish — love it
Hi,
Thank you for complimenting. Have a lovely weekend, ahead!
Liz
yes, you too :-
It’s not quite like we do fried rice in Taiwan, but it looks really yummy!
Hi,
How do you make rice in Taiwan? This one tasted yummy too. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful end of week!
Liz
With lots of soy sauce, egg, veggies like cabbage and carrots and your meat of choice if you’re a carnivore! I enjoyed your post, have a good one!
Hi again,
I love that kind of fried rice too. It tastes really good and with lots of meat for me…I am a carnivore for sure. Thanks so much. I enjoyed reading yours too!
Liz
Another fantastic post Liz, Love the colour of this rice and it sounds super tasty. Cant wait to give it a go 🙂
Hi Matt,
Thank you so much for complimenting and loving the colours. It was super tasty, while it lasted. Please enjoy yours when you make it. Best wishes!
Liz
I completely understand about ignoring one’s blog when life becomes hectic. Unfortunately, it always seems to be the thing I have to set aside when my family needs me.
I would make a meal just of your beautiful rice dish! I love the favors you used, especially cardamom. I rarely reach for it, but you’ve given such great inspiration for its use.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe with us!
Allison
Hi Allison,
Thanks for visiting. You know your blog is one of my favourites. You have lovely pictures and wonderful presentations. I agree with you about setting the blog aside when family calls. That happens to me a lot when schools are in session.
I love spices in general and ginger and cardamom are my favourites. I love fennel seeds too. I can’t remember when I last ate plain rice. I always add some spice or condiment to my rice. Thanks for complimenting and have a lovely end of week!
Liz
Oh, I’ve missed you Liz! I totally hear you. I guess it is called ‘life’ isn’t it? Your rice dish looks so inviting. I find myself turning more and more to the spices and flavours. Is it true that we begin to lose our taste buds as we age? I’m particularly taken with mid-eastern, oriental and Indian cuisines the past while and also turning more and more to non meat dishes. Cardamom is one of my very favorites. I love it in rice puddings and sometimes even grate some in a custard or pound cake. So delightful. There was a show on the cooking channel for awhile called The Spice Goddess – a gorgeous gal named Bal Arneson – did you ever watch her show? Fabulous foods and she made it look so easy. Did I say I’ve missed you? I hope it’s all good and that you don’t get too stressed over not blogging. We all seem to go through periods like that. The weekends coming up…..I hope you get to take some “me” time! Cheers….
Hi Sandy,
I have missed you too! I have just popped by your blog and seen quite a number of new posts. Haven’t read them yet..will be there in a jiffy. I read somewhere that the number of tastebuds decreases with age and sense of smell too. (LOL). Soon I shall be smelling nothing?
I love spices and flavours in food. It’s much easier to eat vegetarian food when you flavour it. I use Cardamom for many things: tea, doughnuts, rice, curries, cakes, pancakes..I think my list is endless. I never watched The Spice Goddess but i’ve seen her recipes on the web. They are simple and straightforward. I said I missed you too (LOL) and don’t worry, no stress over not blogging. The weekend is busy with try-outs for various teams..so there will be no blogging and no regrets, plus Sunday is Laundromat day…the washer was never bought. Wish you a lovely end of week, Sandy. Thanks so much for visiting me!
Liz
One of my favorites Liz. I made the similar version yesterday but without turmeric and used cumin seeds instead. Fennel seeds Lund fun and more ecstatic.. :).
Hi,
I read about the International Food Festival. Very interesting. The last few weeks have been too hectic for me with schools open and a million things to be done. I love fennel seeds and I adore rice. Thanks for popping by. Enjoy the rest of the week!
Liz
I totally understand Liz. September is a crazy month. 🙂
Thank you for understanding. Wish you best of best!
Wish you the same 🙂
Ooooo – yum. Have never tried this sort of frying the rice and herbs before cooking, but the result looks quite delicious. I’ve used bay leaves only in cooked beans, so this will be a new use. I have everything but the cardamom seeds, so may try this tomorrow with some pork roast.
Hi Dorrie Anne,
I love rice and fry mine with all sorts of things, all the time. It’s the only time I can do without meat…most of my rice recipes are vegetarian. Nice to see you after a long spell of silence from my end. I wonder what’s happening with roadrunner and co. I shall pop in right now. Enjoy the rest of the week. Best wishes.
liz
I should do it more often. Usually do it only if making Judie-A-Roni. Thanks for the nudge!
Hi Dorrie Anne,
I look forward to spotting some cardamon flavoured dish, soon?. Thanks for being here.
Liz
I do the same recipe adding all vegetables to it 🙂 Your rice looks vibrant and colourful… thanks for sharing.
Hi,
It’s good to get compliments from an expert on Indian cooking. Thanks. That means a lot to me. Enjoy the rest of the week!
Liz
No no just an Amature, trying to learn my way to cooking better food 🙂 Thank you … have a wonderful week.
Hi Sham,
Don’t worry. We are all amateurs in one way or another and what brings us together is the “love of cooking” I am also learning a lot of things, and enjoying it at the same time. Thanks and have a wonderful day!
Liz
Well said! 🙂
Sounds delicious!!
Hi,
And tastes delicious too. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of the week!
Liz
Thanks, you too!
I am curious – did you come up with this exotic mixture of spices yourself? I’ve never thought of mixing fennel seeds with turmeric, and the addition of cloves and cardamom together with the peas had me feeling like racing home to make it and try it!
Hi again,
I love cooking rice and I always try out new flavours with it. I have added virtually all spices under the sun when cooking rice. The other day I decided to start posting them because most of the recipes I did earlier were sometimes forgotten. Thanks for your compliments! Wish you a fabulous end of week!
Liz