This is such a soothing rice dish—slightly sweet and salty, with just a hint of black pepper. (Do not eat the peppercorns. Push them to the side of your plate. They are just for flavoring.) As the dish is South Indian, I have made it with jasmine rice, which is closer in texture to the shorter-grained rices commonly found in that region. I love to serve this with northern lamb and chicken curries, thus breaking tradition and combining north and south in an exciting new way.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

　　2/3 cup finely sliced shallots

　　2 cups jasmine rice

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 1/2 cups coconut milk from a well-shaken can mixed with an equal measure of water

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a heavy, ovenproof pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot put in the peppercorns. Let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the shallots and stir-fry until they turn reddish brown. Add the rice, turning heat to low, as well as the salt and turmeric. Stir gently for a minute. Add the coconut milk–water mixture, turn heat to medium high, and bring to a rolling boil. Cover first with foil, crimping the edges, and then with the lid. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff up and mix with a fork and then quickly cover again and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.