Yellow Basmati Rice with Sesame Sesame Seeds

Not only does this rice look colorful and taste delicious, but the sesame seeds add a good deal of nutrition and the tumeric adds health benefits acting like an antiseptic within the body.

Serves 4-6

2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 dried red hot chili
1 teaspoon urad dal or yellow split peas
1 teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
2+2/3 cups water

Put the rice in a bowl. Wash in several changes of water. Drain. Let the rice soak in water that covers it generously for 30 minutes. Drain through a sieve and leave in the sieve suspended over a bowl to drip.
Pour the oil into a heavy medium pan (that has a tight fitting lid) and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the red chili, urad dal, mustard seeds, and sesame seeds. As soon as the dal turns reddish and the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the drained rice, tumeric, and salt. Turn the heat down to medium. Stir very gently and sauté for a minute.
Add 2+½ cups water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to very, very low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

(All recipes from: AT HOME WITH MADHUR JAFFREY)