Ooh, you know what? I forgot about Indian "pepper rice." That's a really good use of peppercorns.
My mother introduced me to this style of rice after she had eaten some lamb stuffed with it in Amman, Jordan.
There are generally two ways to make it, one fried-rice-ish and one pilaf-ish. I don't really use a recipe, honestly (just plenty of peppercorns and some other spices, including cumin and coriander). But I will say I prefer the pilaf-style preparation because the pepper and spices flavor the rice more thoroughly, and it's a little more mellow overall.
Pepper Rice (Fried Rice Style)
Note: This is not my own recipe. Here's the
source.
Ingredients:
3 cups of cooked white rice (each grain should be separate)
1 1/2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tbsp black pepper corns
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
10-12 curry leaves (fresh leaves only)
salt to taste
Dry roast the black pepper corns, sesame seeds and curry leaves in a pan for a few minutes on medium heat tossing them around till the flavors come out and you find a nice aroma emanates the kitchen. Once the seasame seeds change color you can turn off the heat and make a coarse powder.
Heat ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the cumin seeds and let them brown. Add the cooked rice and combine it with the tempering. Now add the ground spice pwd and salt and combine the rice with it such that the spices coat the rice well. The full flavor of the pepper is obtained on freshly ground pepper corns which enhances the taste of the rice giving it a sharper, more lively flavor than the pre-ground pepper powder and also by adding it towards the end of the cooking process which further enhances its taste. Serve hot with any gravy curry or plain rasam, appadam (papad) and curds.
Note: Use only fresh pepper corns and not pre-ground black pepper powder as it won’t serve any purpose and you are definitely not going to enjoy the flavor of the rice if you use the store bought pre-ground pepper powder. If you venture into your kitchen to cook up this simple flavorful dish be prepared to use only the freshly ground pepper corns, I repeat..

My own notes on this recipe: If you don't have access to curry leaves, use a couple pinches of garam masala (but don't use curry powder, because that contains turmeric, which would color your rice, and then you'd lose the contrast between white rice and black pepper), though I don't think it's even necessary. Also, I really like a little coriander in this dish, so add it. Finally, topping it with chopped cilantro makes it especially tasty, IMO.
Pepper Rice (Pilaf Style)
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and well drained
2 cups (or thereabouts) stock, broth, or water
2 tbs. oil or ghee
2 bay leaves
1.5-2 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
salt to taste
Chopped cilantro (optional)
In a skillet over medium heat, toast the spices until fragrant, then grind them (keep them fairly coarse for visual contrast).
Add oil to skillet, and add rice. Stir rice for several minutes until oil is absorbed and rice is fragrant. Add spices, stir briefly, and then add liquid, bay leaves, and salt, to taste.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Fluff with a fork and top with cilantro before serving.