Curried Rice

This is another staple at our house.    It goes well with a green salad, some crusty french bread and nice lager.    It is also a good recipe to make with leftover meat. The proportions reflect the amounts I make when I use this dish as a main course for two people.    You will probably want to double them for a larger group.

Heat the water or stock to boiling.    Pour the rice into an oven-proof casserole or dutch oven.    Pour the boiling water over the rice.    Cover and let soak for 45 min.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.    Add the curry powder, salt, butter, vegetables and meat to the rice.    Mix.    Bake uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid is absorbed.    This should take 1-1/2 hours or so.

Notes

1:   Though this seems like a lot of liquid for 1/2 cup of rice, it all does get
      absorbed.

2:   I generally use long-grain or brown rice for this.    The time given above is for
      long-grain.    I've found that it takes a little longer, if you use brown rice.

3   Though store-bought curry powder works fine in this recipe, much better curry
      powders are available.    They range from sweet-tasting to sharp-tasting and
      very mild to "radiation sickness" hot.    If you have a good spice shop or an
      (Asian) Indian grocery nearby, start with Garam Masala.    It is a mild, sweet
      curry powder that tastes of cardamon.

4:   This can be made without the leftover meat.    Just use 2 cups of liquid rather
      than 2-1/4 cups.

Variations

1:   You can give this a richer flavor by replacing some or all of the water with
      stock.

2:   This dish can be given a sweeter flavor replacing some or all of the water with
      apple cider.

3:   This dish can be made more leguminous by adding 1/4 cup of dried lentils.
      Make sure that you increase the liquid by about 1/2 cup.

4:   For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with small cubes of firm tofu.

5:   Peel, dice and core an apple.    Add this when you add the meat and vegetables.
      Make sure that you use a variety that doesn't turn to mush when it is cooked.
      This goes especially well when you use pork in the recipe.