Global Supper Club: Indian Edition (and Spiced Basmati Rice)

Global Supper Club

Many, many, many months ago, I read a story in Real Simple about a group of friends that has been having monthly dinner parties for many, many, many years where each meal features food from a designated country. I loved the article and the idea because it gave the friends an excuse to see each other regularly throughout the different phases of their lives and to cook and eat together. Those things are important to me too, and I thought about the article for a long time. I hesitated to put the idea into motion because it’s a real commitment, something I would want to follow through on for years to build happy memories, stronger friendships, and a full repertoire of delicious, adventurous recipes. I woke up one day suddenly ready to take the plunge. I proposed the idea to my friends, and they said yes!

Indian Feast

I hosted the first dinner and chose India as our theme. My friends are all wonderful cooks, and they did not disappoint! Here’s our completely homemade menu (with recipe links, which will be updated as my friends send them to me (hint, hint)):

  1. Mango chutney
  2. Naan
  3. Stir-fried cabbage
  4. Mint-cilantro chutney
  5. Saag
  6. Cucumber raita
  7. Rajma
  8. Chana masala (Witty recipe!)
  9. Butter chicken (Witty recipe!)
  10. Basmati rice (recipe below)
  • Not pictured are curried cauliflower, galub jamun for dessert, and lots of wine.

And here’s the recipe for Indian-spiced basmati rice, inspired by the incredibly flavorful rice from my favorite Indian restaurant. Buy a bag of basmati rice. Use 1/4 cup of rice per serving, but I made more (3 cups in total). Measure out your rice, and soak it in water before you cook it. If you can soak the rice for a few hours, that’s wonderful, but even a few minutes is better than nothing. Drain the water from the rice, and add the rice to a large pot. Add 1.5 times the amount of water to the pot (for 3 cups of rice, I added 4.5 cups of water). To the pot, add 1-2 cinnamon sticks, 1 bay leaf, 5-8 green cardamom pods, 5-6 cloves, 1-2 star anise, 6-7 allspices, salt to taste, and a sprinkling of cumin seeds if you have them. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, put a lid on the pot, and let it cook for about 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. Serve the rice immediately, making sure you don’t eat any of the large spice pieces, especially the cardamom pods. They flavor the rice nicely but taste TERRIBLE if you eat them straight.

I can’t wait to fill you in on future editions of the global supper club. I hope it’s a long-lasting tradition that we can all enjoy together!

Rice shopping list:

  • Basmati rice
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Bay leaf
  • Green cardamom pods
  • Cloves
  • Star anise
  • Allspice
  • Cumin seeds
  • Salt
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Global Supper Club: Indian Edition (and Spiced Basmati Rice) — 3 Comments

  1. Pingback: Global Supper Club: Italian Edition | Witty in the City

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