Saja Pakhala
same-day watered rice with lemon, ginger and a mustard tempering, eaten cool on the hottest afternoons
Allergens in Saja Pakhala: mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 300g short-grain, washed RiceOdia arua or any non-basmati short grain
- 1.5 litres for cooking, plus 700ml cold for the pakhala Water
- 1, juiced Lemon
- 1 tbsp, julienned Ginger
- 3, slit Green Chilli
- 12 Curry Leavesoptional
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1.5 tbsp Mustard Oil
- to taste Salt
- 3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- This is the fresh, curd-free version made and eaten the same day, not the overnight fermented basi pakhala.
- Cook the rice loose and slightly soft, and do not drain away all the starch water. The torani is the point of the dish.
- The rice must cool to room temperature before the cold water goes in. Hot rice makes a gluey pakhala.
- Everything served alongside (fried fish, saga bhaja, a fried papad) should be salty and hot to contrast the cool rice.
Method
- Boil the washed rice in 1.5 litres of water for 12-14 minutes, uncovered, until the grains are soft and just starting to swell open.Cook it two minutes past what you would want for a normal plate of rice. Firm grains never soften once they are in cold water.
- Drain off the excess starch water into a bowl and keep it. Spread the rice in a wide dish.
- Let the rice cool to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Do not rush it in the fridge.
- Add 700ml cold water plus the reserved starch water to the rice, along with the salt. It should be soupy, with the grains floating loose.
- Stir in the lemon juice, half the julienned ginger and the slit green chillies.
- Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then lower the flame for 30 seconds.
- Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard pops and the leaves crisp, about 20 seconds, pour the whole tempering over the rice.Pour it in while it is still spitting. The noise it makes hitting the cold rice is the sign you did it right.
- Stir once, scatter over the remaining ginger and the coriander leaves, and let it sit 15 minutes before eating.
Storage
Eat the same day, ideally within a few hours. It keeps overnight refrigerated and will taste faintly sour by morning, which is closer to basi pakhala; do not reheat it.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Saja Pakhala (431 g) is about 329 calories, or 77 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 6 g a serving, 7% of the calories
| Per serving431 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 329 kcal | 77 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g | 1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 61.5 g | 14 g |
| of which sugars | 0.4 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 6.1 g | 1 g |
| of which saturated | 0.8 g | 0 g |
| of which unsaturated | 4.8 g | 1 g |
Nearest database match used for curry leaves. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Quick Indian recipes (30 min) · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Odia recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.