Recipes Side Dishes Royal Rice Be the first to rate & review! Chefs Saqib Keval and Norma Listman of Masala y Maíz in Mexico City marry aspects of Desi and Mexican cuisine in this colorful dish, a hybrid of biryani and toasted, pilaf-style rice, cooked in coconut milk with mint, almonds, and golden raisins. By Saqib Keval Saqib Keval Chef Saqib Keval co-owns and operates Mexico City restaurants Masala y Maiz and Mari Gold, which blend South Asian, East African, and Mexican influences. Keval is also the co-founder of The People’s Collective in Oakland, a grassroots food, art, and social justice project. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Norma Listman Norma Listman Norma Listman is a chef, artist, teacher, and food industry expert based in Mexico City and Oakland, California. Together with chef Sabiq Keval, she co-owns and operates Masala y Maiz in Mexico City, an innovative restaurant that explores the convergence of culinary techniques, foodways, and ingredients from South Asia, East Africa, and Mexico through food based on the chefs’ family recipes and history. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 1, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 8 to 12 Ingredients 1 cup sunflower oil 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup natural raw almonds 10 fresh curry leaves (optional) 4 cups uncooked basmati rice 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped 4 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk, well shaken and stirred 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint Directions Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add raisins, and fry until raisins swell, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer raisins to paper towels to drain. Add almonds to skillet; fry 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer almonds to paper towels to drain. If using curry leaves, add to skillet, and fry 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup oil from skillet; discard remaining oil. eat reserved 1/4 cup oil in a large Dutch oven over high. Add rice, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until rice is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in raisins, almonds, coconut milk, and salt. Cook, without stirring, until coconut milk is absorbed into rice and liquid is level with rice, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir and reduce heat to low. (Some of the rice will stick to bottom of Dutch oven; this is OK.) Simmer, uncovered, until rice is completely tender, with toasted bits of rice on bottom, about 30 minutes. Scrape up any toasted rice from bottom of Dutch oven, and stir to combine with cooked rice. Spoon rice onto a serving platter; sprinkle with chopped mint and, if using, fried curry leaves Rate it Print