7 international rice dishes for a cultured family dinner

Mums and dads, are you tired of having the same old dinner routines? Are you looking for a new dining experience that can bring your whole family together?

Look no further! We've compiled a list of awesome and delicious international rice dishes, courtesy of food.com.

Check out these amazing dishes from different countries that will help refine and culture your family's palate!

Kashmiri chicken, cardamom and saffron pilau: spiced Indian rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb white basmati rice

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 2 onions, peeled and diced

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and finely diced

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless chicken or 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cubed

• 1 teaspoon saffron strand

• 1⁄2 pint boiling water

• 6 cardamom pods, bruised

• 4 tablespoons chopped of fresh mint

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 8 ounces skinned and chopped tomatoes or 8 ounces tinned chopped tomatoes

• 2 ounces sultanas

• salt

• pepper

• 2 ounces blanched almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

• 2ounces blanched almonds, toasted

• Rinse the basmati rice several times in cold water and drain in a colander - leave to dry

• Heat half of the oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pan and add half of the onion (1 onion), the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds. Fry them over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes

• Add the chicken pieces and brown them - turning them regularly to achieve a good colour all over

• Add the saffron, boiling water, cardamom pods, mint, garam masala and cinnamon stick. Bring it all to the boil and then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender

• Transfer all the contents to a bowl and rinse out the pan

• Add the remaining oil and onion to the pan and fry until the onion is lightly colored. Add the rice and stir it well, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is opaque

• Add the chicken mixture, tomatoes and sultanas - then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently, then shake the pan to level the ingredients

• Add sufficient boiling water to come about 3/4" above the rice mixture. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook gently over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has all been absorbed

• Discard the cinnamon stick and transfer to a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve immediately

Turmeric rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1⁄2 chopped onion

• 1 minced garlic clove

• 1 cup basmati rice

• 1 tablespoon turmeric

• 1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 drop thyme

• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Melt 1 tbsp butter in saucepan, add onion and garlic, cook until softened

• Add rice and turmeric; stir to coat

• Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, cover and simmer 17 minutes

• Stir in remaining butter, remove bay leaf, serve

Benihana rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups cooked rice or 1 cup uncooked rice

• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

• 2 tablespoons carrots, finely diced

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1⁄2 cup onion, diced

• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• salt

• pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes)

• Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the refrigerator

• Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat

• Separate the scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking

• When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot, scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl

• Carefully toss all of the ingredients together

• Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat

• When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper

• Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often

Mexican rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces tomatoes, very ripe and cored

• 1 medium white onion

• 3 medium jalapenos

• 2 cups long grain white rice

• 1⁄3 cup canola oil

• 4 minced garlic cloves

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

• 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

• 1 lime

DIRECTIONS:

• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350

• Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess

• Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside

• Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY

• Heat oil in heavy bottomed ovensafe 12 inch straight sided sautee pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this but I used a 10 inch dutch oven and it worked out fine.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter

• Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes

• Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil

• Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes

• Stir well after 15 minutes

• Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately

Spanish seafood paella

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1⁄2 lbs chicken parts

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons salt

• fresh ground pepper

• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced

• 1⁄2 cup sliced green onion

• 1lb squid, cleaned, sacs cut into rings

• 1⁄2 teaspoon saffron thread

• 1lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 3 cups short-grain rice (preferably Spanish or Italian)

• 6 cups warm chicken stock

• 1 1⁄2lbs. small live clams

• 1 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:

• With a heavy cleaver, chop each breast half into 3 pieces and each leg into 4 pieces

• Combine the oil, onion, and garlic in a 12- to 14-inch skillet or paella pan and place over low heat

• When the onion begins to sizzle, increase the heat to medium

• Add the chicken pieces a few at a time and cook until lightly browned, sprinkling them with a little of the salt, pepper and paprika as they cook

• As they brown, move the chicken pieces to the outside of the pan to make room for more in the center

• When all the chicken has lost its raw color, add the squid, peppers, green onion, and the remaining salt, and crumble in the saffron. Stir in the rice, cooking for a minute or so to coat it with the oil

• Add warm stock to within 1 inch of the rim of the pan (not all the stock may be needed)

• Arrange the shrimp over the top, and the mussels or clams in a ring around the outside, hinged side down

• Cook at a lively simmer until the rice is just tender, about 20 minutes; scatter the peas over the top halfway through the cooking time

• The paella may seem a little soupy when it first comes off the fire, but the rice will absorb the excess liquid in a few minutes

• Tip: This works well with boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Coconut mango sticky rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 1⁄2 cup basmati rice or 1⁄2 cup jasmine rice or 1⁄2 cup other sweet asian rice

• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (you can use the light kind if you want, it just makes it a little less rich)

• 1⁄2 cup sugar

• 1 mango, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

• Rice: Cook rice according to package directions, but substitute coconut milk for half of the water, and add half the sugar

• It should be fairly dry when you finish cooking it, without any liquid visible in the pot

• Sauce: In a medium saucepan, boil the rest of the coconut milk with the second half of the sugar

• Keep this at a full boil until the rice is cooked, or until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency

• Presentation: Arrange the cooked coconut rice in a bowl or plate with the mango slices in some kind of pretty formation and dribble a bit of the sauce over the whole thing

Vegetable Biryani

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1⁄2 cups basmati rice, rinsed

• 3 cups water

• 1 pinch salt

• 1 tablespoon ghee or 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder

• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 pound)

• 2 carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• 2 cups water

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

• 1(10 ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted

• 1⁄4 cup plain yogurt

• 1 jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, minced

• 1 tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1⁄2 cup cilantro leaf

DIRECTIONS:

• Bring water and salt to a boil

• Stir in the rice and boil until rice has absorbed all (or most of) the water, about 10 to 15 minutes

• Drain the rice (if needed) and return rice to the pot, and cover to keep warm

• Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, melt the ghee (or butter) with the oil over moderately low heat

• Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes

• Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute

• Stir in the cumin, turmeric, curry powder, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer

• Add the potato, carrots, water, and salt. Increase the heat to moderately high and simmer until the vegetables are tender and no liquid remains in the pan, about 10 minutes

• To serve, stir the peas into the other vegetables and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the yogurt and rice and serve topped with the jalapeno, tomato, and cilantro

Written by

Santiago Santa Cruz

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