Fried rice with bacon and carrots

There is a lot that one can do with left over rice. I for one love to make different types of fried rice. I usually try and use ingredients that are already in stock, specially vegetables that are nearing their use by date. I use lots of vegetables, as that is my new obsession, getting my son to eat vegetables. Most of the times french beans, carrots, peas, corn, peppers, baby corn do wonders in any stir fry preparation.

The fried rice recipe I share with you today is not a traditional Chinese recipe. It is essentially lots of ingredients tossed together, that turns into a delicious treat. Since this recipe is totally flexible, you could try different permutations and combinations. My only suggestion is that you use rice that has been cooked a day in advance. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. Bacon - 100 gms
2. Left over rice - 1 cup
3. Onion (medium) - 1 no
4. Carrot (medium) - 1 no
5. Capsicum (medium) - 1 no
6. Garlic - 1 to 2 flakes
7. Soy sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp
8. Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp
9. Pepper - to taste

Method:

1. Roughly chop bacon, onions, carrots, capsicum and garlic.
2. Heat a non-stick pan, add the chopped bacon, fry till light brown. Add the garlic and onions. Let it fry for about a minute.
3. Now add the carrot, mix well and let it cook for about three minutes.
4. Add the sauces and pepper, let it mix with the ingredients in the pan.
5. Add the capsicum, and rice. Mix all the ingredients well. Let it fry in the pan for two minutes and take off the stove.

Notes:

1. I don't add oil and salt. Bacon releases a lot of fat and is salty. Also the sauces have salt.
2. You could add as many veggies as you like to this delicious concoction. Veggies I recommend are french beans, peas, corn, baby corn, peppers.
3. You could also use different types of meats. Chicken, cocktail sausage, beef or pork strips. Just season it with salt and pepper and fry it first.

Vegetable Pulao

I joined back work after a long leave of almost a year and a half. I spent quality time with my baby and now I'm back at work. Every single day has been a whirlwind of activity as one can imagine. But I'm blessed in more ways than one and I'm ever so grateful for that!

That's the reason I haven't posted in the last two months. Today I share a very simple yet delicious recipe. As a mum, all recipes first need to pass the nutrition and vegetable test. How many veggies can I sneak in and get away? With this recipe, many. And that's the beauty.

So let's begin...

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Carrots - 1 medium
5. French Beans - 8 nos
6. Green Peas - 1/4 of teacup
7. Oil - 2 tbsp
8. Salt to taste

Spice Mix:

1. Peppercorn - 6 nos
2. Cloves - 2 nos
3. Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
4. Cardamom - 2 nos
5. Bay leaves - 2 nos
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Chicken or Vegetable Stock - 500ml
Or Stock cubes - 1 no & Water - 500 ml

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice.
2. Slice onions and tomatoes. Cut french beans and carrots into one inch pieces.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spice mix. Fry for 30 seconds and then add onions.Add salt sparingly, since the stock will be salty.
4. Let it fry for about two minutes while stirring it constantly. Add the tomatoes and stir well.
5. Fry for about two minutes and then add the vegetables and the turmeric powder. Fry for about two minutes.
6. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
7. If not using stock, add water and the stock cube and bring to a boil.
8. Add the rice and stir. Let it come to a boil. Lower the flame and let it  cook for 5-6 minutes.
9. When the stock is reduced, check for salt. The stock should taste a little salty and the grain of rice should be about 3/4th cooked. 
10. Put off the gas flame in 2 minutes after you've closed the lid. So that the steam is locked and the cooking process can continue.
11. Serve after you've let it rest for 20 minutes.

Notes:

1. You can also add and additional 100 ml of stock or water to make it a little wettish for the kids. :-)
2. The picture I added is of another time I cooked the pulao. You can add vegetable of your choice. Sharing the list I commonly use in my pulao : carrots, green peas, sweet corn, french beans, broccoli, cauliflower. 

Andhra Chicken Pulao

I tried this pulao after watching it on Food Food, it was presented by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I don't think it needs any further prodding. The pulao looks appetizingly red and tastes YUM! I made some minor changes to suit my palatte. It's one of the best pulao's I've tried. 

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1.2 kg
Basmati rice - 3 glasses ( 3/4 kg) [Wash and soak the rice prior to cooking the dish.]
2 cups coconut milk
3 chicken maggie cubes or 4 cups chicken stock
Tomatoes - 4 nos chopped

Make a paste of the below ingredients:
Kashmiri red chillies - 8 nos
Garlic cloves - 30 nos
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Heat a pan, add 4 tbsp of oil and fry the below ingredients :
Cinnamon - 4 inch stick
Cloves - 8 nos
Cardamom - 6 nos
Star anise - 2 nos
Curry leaves - a few
Onions - 6 medium (sliced)
Green chillies - 5-6 long ones(chopped)

Method:

1) Fry the onions well, let them brown, add the chicken and salt. Mix well and let it fry for two mins.
2) Then add the ground paste, and mix well and saute for two more mins.Now add the tomatoes
3) Add the rice, chicken stock or cubes, and coconut milk. If your using cubes use 4 glasses of water.
4) You can use the juice of one lemon, so that the rice grains remain separate and long.
5) Check for seasoning and when the rice is almost cooked, turn off the gas and keep the lid on for atleast 20 mins for it to cook on its steam.

Pulao's ready for lunch. You could serve this with raita and or green salad. The pulao turns out wettish and hence can be eaten on its own without any curry or sauce.