ERIC Tash, manager of the injury prevention and control program in the state Department of Health, is hurtin' for the moist, nutty brown basmati rice with sunflower seeds served at Hare Krishna restaurant. Rice very nice
with seeds, spiceJosh Hawley, rice/dessert chef for the Nuuanu eatery's all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet, shared the recipe. The 19-year-old Portland transplant said, "Watch the heat because it tends to stick on the bottom," as he stirred Bragg's amino acids, a soy sauce option, into a pungent mixture of spices and sunflower seeds. Then, he added the mixture to brown basmati rice bubbling in a 23-cup rice cooker.
Buy brown basmati rice at Down to Earth Natural Foods, and Huckleberry Farms for 95 and 99 cents pound, respectively. Also, look for it packaged in bags at Strawberry Connection, or boxed as Texas brown basmati rice at Safeway.
Find hing (asafetida), an Indian herb used in place of garlic, at health-food or Asian stores.
Hawley also prepares the halavah dessert. It contains equal parts of farina, sugar and butter, two parts of water, plus desired fruits and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, he said.
The Hare Krishna restaurant serves lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner 5 to 8:30 p.m. daily, except Sunday. June dinner menus feature enchiladas Monday, chef's choice Tuesday, spring rolls with sweet/sour sauce Wednesday, egg-free quiche Thursday, spinach lasagna Friday, and nut loaf Saturday.
ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) has been in the islands for 27 years, according to ISKCON Hawaii president Radha Krishna Das, the former Michael "Rusty" Gallant of Oahu. ISKCON also serves free meals for the homeless and others at 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 1 p.m. Saturdays at Queen's Beach in Waikiki, he said.
Besides the basmati recipe, ISKCON shared recipes for two salad dressings - a tasty, new sunflower concoction and a popular almond dressing.
Gauranga's
Asian Brown Basmati Rice2 cups brown basmati rice (or regular brown rice)Wash rice, add water and start cooking in an automatic rice cooker.
3 cups water
1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon hing (asafetida)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 cup sunflower seeds
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup tamari sauce (can substitute soy sauce or Bragg's amino acids)Meanwhile, in a frying pan over high heat, stir-fry spices in oil to form a "chaunce" - a mixture with a foamy layer on top. Add seeds and cook, stirring frequently, on medium heat about 5 minutes, until seeds are golden (seeds will emit their own oil).
Add the tamari, Bragg's amino acids or soy sauce; mixture will sizzle.
Cook until the seeds take on a "sugary" texture (when the tamari leaves a salty coating on seeds); watch heat and scrape bottom of pan continuously to avoid scorching.
Stir this spice/seed mixture into boiling rice in the rice cooker, cover and finishing cooking.
Makes 10 servings, 3/4 cup each.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 270 calories, 14 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 350 milligrams sodium.*
Gauranga's
Sunflower Seed Dressing3 cups sunflower seedsMachine process all ingredients until creamy.
4 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon hing (asafetida)
1 green bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed
1 bunch fresh basil
1/2 bunch fresh cilantroMakes 7-1/2 cups.
Gauranga's
Almond Dressing1-1/2 cups almondsMachine process all ingredients until creamy.
1-1/2 cups nutritional yeast
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups safflower oil
1/2 cup Bragg's amino acids
1 teaspoon hing (asafetida)Makes 5-1/2 cups