Wednesday 8 February 2017

Nasi Beriani Hujan Panas


What a dramatic name, right? How do you translate that into English?  Nasi Beriani Hujan Panas = Hot Showers Briyani. Or Hot Rain Briyani. Sounds weird?

Actually, hujan panas (rain that falls on a sunny day), alludes to the rainbow that forms after the rain on a hot day (I think so lah). A rainbow is a beautiful thing, it is colorful and so is this briyani rice.


I have always loved briyani rice because it is aromatic and incredibly appetizing when served with curry and acar


One thing to remember when cooking a briyani (including nasi minyak and the like) is not to be stingy with oil/ghee.

If you are paranoid about clogging your arteries and fearing death by heart attack/stroke after a clandestine lunch of briyani and curry (like you know who), then by all means avoid this delicious meal.

You see, you want to be able to saute the dry spices and spice paste adequately (which requires a fair amount of oil/ghee) and each grain of rice must be coated in oil/ghee. This has to happen, or else you end up with a dry and clumpy briyani

You are not going to eat this everyday or every week. So, chill out.


I enjoyed my briyani rice with a spicy cucumber acar and Beef Kandar. It was glorious! Bless my heart and arteries.


Briyani rice freezes well (just like ordinary cooked rice, I do it all the time) so you can cook up a batch and freeze in portions. That way you can pace yourself and enjoy the rice at a moment's notice.

It also helps if you have some suitable curry in the freezer too. When you feel like it, defrost the rice and curry in the fridge overnight. If you are thus inclined, you can make yourself some acar the day before.


Nasi Beriani Hujan Panas
Recipe source : The New Malaysian Cookbook (Page 70)

Ingredients :
- 2 cups basmathi rice, soaked for 30 minutes, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp olive oil+1 tbsp ghee (why? I cannot stand too much ghee because of the smell. A little bit is fragrant enough for me)
- one 4 cm cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted

Blended :
- 1 medium sized red onion
- 4 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cm ginger

- 1 tbsp briyani powder 
- 3 cups water
-  1 cup evaporated milk
- some red and yellow coloring

- 3 tbsp raisins, plumped in hot oil

Method :
1. Heat oil/ghee in wok and saute the dry spices until aromatic.
2. Add blended spice paste and pandan leaf. Saute until aromatic.
3. Add briyani powder and saute briefly 
4. Add rice and stir to coat rice with the spice paste and oil.
5. Transfer to rice cooker and add water and evaporated milk. Stir to ensure everything is well mixed.
6. Cook the rice as you would your regular rice.
7. When the rice is cooked and the keep warm indicator comes on, pour the coloring in three spots per color. Do not stir at this point. Put the rice cooker lid on and wait for 15 minutes.
8. Fluff up the rice and add raisins. Serve.

28 comments:

  1. Wowwwwww!!!! That is absolutely gorgeous. You cooked that yourself? Double wowwwwwww!!! I take my hat off to you! Bravo! Bravo!!!

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    1. Thank you! Thank you! Actually it is not difficult at all. You can easily cook this too.

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  2. PH, if you set up a stall, I sure will go patron your stall, hehe...

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  3. PH always cook sedap and nice pictures too

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    1. Thank you, Raihanah. Kembang hidung PH :D

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  4. I see you really enjoy Indian food (that's why you must visit Ratha Raub...hehe!). Me...not as much but the rice is certainly colourful (especially your previous one with additional green colouring...I clicked on your old post).

    You've always mentioned that cooked rice freezes well (I've never tried) but I do sometimes cook more than one portion of rice and keep it in the fridge. But when I reheat it the next day (in the microwave oven), I find the rice grains a little bit hard (not the same texture as when it was first steamed). Is there something I'm not doing right or is there a special way of reheating that I'm not aware of? ;)

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    1. I do! I do! Yes, Ratha Raub going soon hee..hee...

      Ah, don't use microwave. Steam the rice to reheat. I usually steam it for about 10-15 minutes and it is good as new (steam longer if straight from freezer)

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    2. I microwave the rice coz it takes 2 - 3 mins only. What...steam for 15 mins or more? If like that, one portion of fresh rice can be steamed in 20 mins already....no need to freeze rice and reheat! O_o Kekeke! :D

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    3. I agree, microwave is faster. I do it when I am in a hurry. But steaming sure helps especially if I have extras from the freezer. Saves time lah, no need to cook from scratch hee..hee...

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  5. Oooo yums!

    I only do beriani for special occasion and maybe once a year! LOL

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    1. That makes it more special lah, setahun sekali hah..hah....

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  6. i never knew why they called it hujan panas - your explanation makes sense! :D and your pics are really beautiful - if you opened a nasi briyani hujan panas stall, people will be eyeing this for their next lunch stop for sure!

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    1. Ohh...thank you hee...hee...that sounds promising! Retirement plan maybe? hah..hah..

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  7. So delicious! I could eat this every day. If eat a moderate amount and not go on a binge and with exercise the heart and arteries should be safe.

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    1. Me too hee..hee.. but I am not able to eat in moderation, so I better don't eat everyday LOL!

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  8. I also cannot tahan the ghee smell.. most times, I avoid taking those sweet delights with ghee.. as for nasi, I can still accept cos of the curry and all.. salivating now!

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    1. When used in small amounts and fried with spices, it smell good, gives that special oomph!

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  9. Ohhh Phong Hong, I am salivating now. Waiting for dinner. Yums, yums. I love your nasi with the curry and acar!

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    1. hee..hee..I just had another portion yesterday evening :)

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  10. Oh my! What a catchy post name.

    Briyani. I love it but couldnt have it too often for health reason. Haha.

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  11. Hi PB,
    Nasi Hujan Panas dan Nasi Beriani pun dah ckp sedap.Apatah lg kalau kawin campur dua² menu tu lg la kebaboom kan
    Tambah plak ada pelakon tambahan lain²..ades terliur dah ni

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    1. Hi Lina! PH suka masakan macam ni tapi buat sekali sekala aje. Memang syiok habis hee..hee..

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  12. Ni nasi hujan panas femes di teganu kan PH. Sokmo ada di pagi raya. Ermmmm..rindunya.

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    1. Kalau balik KT, PH suka makan nasi minyok. Tu lah pasal balik kampung jer, badan naik hu..hu...

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  13. I ingatkan PH, Chinese tak suka makan this type of nasi tau. Tapi i salahlah...u ni kan rasanya ada keturunan Chinese johor kot haha ....
    Rilex je makan kari dengan nasi kaler kaler...acar lagi hihi

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    1. Hainom, Chinese ni ada dua jenis. Yang very, very Chinese tu hee..hee..tak biasa sangat makan masakan macam ni. Yang jenis satu lagi, geng2 macam PH and family lah. Suka sangat masakan Melayu dan India.

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