Lima beans Rice

I am Indian and therefore rice has a ubiquitous presence in my diet. My husband prefers pulao( pilaf), fried rice, Biryani or any kind of one pot rice dish as opposed to plain white rice served with some curry ( side-dish that has gravy). Lima Beans is one of my favorite beans and I decided to make a rice dish using the Lima beans sent by our friends at Camellia Beans. Many of you must have eaten the cilantro lime rice at Chipotle. Imagine that with Lima beans added to it. Believe me when I tell you that not only does it taste delicious but it makes for a complete meal what with the essential elements of protein, carbohydrate, fat and minerals. 

Do try it. It is quick and easy and you will fall in love with it. You won’t even need a side dish for it! It is a great way to make use of leftover rice!! 

Servings: 2-3

Prep time: 2 mins
Cook time: none
Total time: 3 mins 

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 4 cups 

Cooked Lima beans: 1.5 cups
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Lime juice: from one small lime
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/8 tsp
Garlic powder: 1/8 tsp ( optional)

Method: 

Add 4 cups of warm/ hot rice to a bowl. Now add all the other ingredients and toss until the rice is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. Be gentle while mixing so that the rice does not become mushy!

Serve hot with a side of your choice or eat it as is!

Enjoy!

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Vaangibaath ( Eggplant Rice/ Brinjal Rice)

The other day my friend and I were out running errands and we felt like going to a South Indian Restaurant. While the North Indian restaurants are ubiquitous, South Indian are harder to come by. I don't know exactly why.. However I think the western world relates Indian cuisine mainly to flatbreads ( rotis, paratha, naan), chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, aloo gobhi and chole than to the South Indian cuisine of dosas and idlis. Dosas are nothing but pancakes and crepes while idlis are steamed rice-lentil cakes both of which form the mainstay of South Indian Cuisine.Anyways, we happened to go to Dosa Hut ( translates as pancake hut) to eat some nice and crispy masala dosa. 

While we were done, my friend ordered some Vaangibaath "to go" for her hubby and her for dinner. She doesn't know how to make it and was craving it. Her ordering Vaangibaath made me crave it too.. I realized I had not made Vaangibaath in a long time. I decided to make it. Vaangibaath or Vangibath is nothing but Eggplant Rice. "Vaangi"
means "eggplant"or "Brinjal" and "Baath" is rice. Basically it is rice and eggplant cooked together with flavorful spices to make it something like a pulao( pilaf). It is quite simple and easy to make. I had some chimes eggplant in my fridge and I made it for lunch the next day. It is usually served with some chutney or raita ( yogurt based salad). My husband and I both relished it.

You get Vangibath powder in the store. I don't like to keep a whole bunch of pre-mixed spice mixes in my pantry if I am only going to make the dish sporadically. I keep a bunch of basic spices and mix it when I want a specific mix. For Vangibath I use sambar powder and add a couple of other spices to it. I use sambar powder to make my bisibelebath too. Here is my quick version of Vaangibaath.

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

White rice ( Basmati or any long grain rice is preferred): 2 cups
Water: 4 cups
Onion: 2 medium, chopped lengthwise
Cashew halves: 1-2 tbsp ( optional)
Eggplant, long variety ( Chinese eggplant): 3-4 medium-sized.
Oil: 2 tbsp ( I used coconut oil; any cooking oil can be used).
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch piece
Cardamom:4 pods
Bay leaf: 1 small
Sambar powder: 2-3 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Jaggery or sugar: 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp  for garnish ( 1 tbsp)

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for atleast 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan or pressure pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom. If adding cashew halves, add them now. Sauté for 15-20 seconds.

Add the sliced eggplants. Sauté for 3-4 mins until the eggplant slightly wilts. Now add the sambar powder. Mix well. Add the washed and drained rice. Add 4 cups water, salt, jaggery and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low.

Cover and cook for 15 mins.

When done, fluff the rice using a serving spoon.
Garnish with freshly grated coconut and/or coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita/cucumber-tomato slices and/or chutney of any kind.

Enjoy!   I can't wait to bring this to Angie's Fiesta Friday#174! I am sure this will be something new to everybody!

Cooking made easy:

If using a pressure cooker, don't use weight or whistle.
If it is convenient for you, you can use the Vaangibath mix that is readily available in stores.

Tip for healthy living:

Cooking with minimal oil reduces the overall calorie and fat content of the meal. A rule of thumb is that any dish that uses water for cooking, does not require much oil to cook.

Food for thought:

He who angers you conquers you. Elizabeth Kenny

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Cilantro Lime Rice; Meatless Monday

Have you ever eaten at the Chipotle  Mexican Grill?? Do enjoy the burrito or the burrito bowl? If yes, then have you ever wondered why their rice tastes so good??? Well, because it is cilantro-lime rice! I have tried to recreate it at home and I must say, that I have been successfull! Well, before going into the details of that recipe, let me tell you that Chipotle is one of the few fast food chains that I eat at.. May be once a year?? I cannot remember when I last ate there. You see, my husband and I we don't eat out much. We like everything fresh and cooked at home. But sometimes, when you are away or busy running errands, you have to kind of eat out. I don't eat pizza and sandwiches as I avoid gluten. Chipotle has gluten free options and is relatively fresh?? That's why it is one of the few place that I eat.

Coming back to the Cilantro Lime rice, it is pretty easy to make at home and requires very few ingredients: rice, cilantro, lime, salt, black pepper and olive oil. They might have put Adobo seasoning, but I have kept it to the basics! This recipe works well with both freshly cooked rice and leftover rice, which makes it perfect for weeknight dinners or for those times, when you want to put together a meal in a jiffy! I have shared the recipe for rice that is already cooked and ready. Please follow your method of choice for cooking the rice. If the rice that you are using is leftover rice, please warm it up before following this recipe.

Servings: 2

Prep time: 2 mins 

Cook time: none 

Total time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 4 cups
Cilantro: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Lime juice: from one small lime
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/8 tsp
Garlic powder: 1/8 tsp ( optional)

Method:

Add 4 cups of warm/ hot rice to a bowl.

Now add all the other ingredients and toss until the rice is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. Be gentle while mixing so that the rice does not become mushy!

Serve hot with a side of your choice.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

While cooking Basmati rice, to ensure long grains, soak the rice for 30 mins after thoroughly washing it. Then drain it and keep it aside for 30 mins. The soaking lengthens the grains and the draining and drying helps it prevent from breaking upon cooking.

Follow the instructions on the package while cooking rice as every crop of rice  is different.

Tip for healthy living:

While choosing rice, choose those with a higher glycemic index and those that have not been processed too much. Parboiled rice is better than raw rice. Matta rice & brown rice are less processed than their other counterparts and therefore have a higher fiber content, lower glycemic index and less calories.

Food for thought:

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Arthur Conan Doyle

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Chili Garlic Asparagus Rice

Summer is here!! Which means I don't want to spend hours slaving in the kitchen!! Not that I ever did! ;) You guys know me.. If it isn't quick and easy, it is not happening in my kitchen!! It is more so now than ever as the kids want to be more outside the house than inside! This recipe that I am sharing with you today is another of my accidentally invented recipes!! Or rather spontaneously put together recipes!

My husband likes to take his lunch from home. He loathes to eat outside food. However, his home-cooked lunch has to follow certain guidelines:
A. It cannot be a sandwich
B. Rice item is preferred.
C. It has to be vegetarian.
D. It should not smell of spices while reheating!!
E. It cannot have any kind of sauce/gravy or any other liquid component to it that may possibly leak from the lunch box!!

Well, I have been very creative and innovative with his lunches. Usually I put together some kind of fried rice/ pilaf sort of thing together for him. This particular rice is another such innovative dish which happened to come together due to a tired me on a weeknight . I had made spicy garlic sauteed asparagus and Basmati rice for dinner. I decided to rice into it. Then I remembered that I had some grilled corn in the refrigerator. I took it out, shucked the corn and added it into the rice! And voila!! A delicious dish was born!!

My husband just loved it! Here is the recipe for you to try!

Prep time: 8 minsCook time: 12 mins
Total time: 20 mins

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Asparagus: 6-8 nos
Garlic cloves: 4-5 nos
Red chilli powder( medium spice level): 1/2 tsp ( the amount of chilli powder can be adjusted based on the level of spiciness of the chilli powder and of the individual.
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Water: 2 tbsp
Cooked rice: 3 cups
Vinegar: 1 tsp
Grilled corn: 1
Black pepper powder: 1/8tsp
Scallions: 2, green part only, chopped.
Salt: to taste

Method:

Wash the asparagus. Snap off the woody stem. Break the remaining stem into 2-3 pieces depending on the length of the asparagus. Keep aside.

Mince the garlic. Keep aside.

Shuck the corn. Keep aside.

In a sauté pan/frying pan/wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add the minced garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn it. Add the red chilli powder. Sauté for 10 seconds. Add in the asparagus. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water, stir fry for couple of minutes on medium-high flame. Add salt as per taste. Now lower the flame and cover and cook for 5-6 mins or until the asparagus is tender.

You can stop at this stage if you want make just chilli garlic asparagus.

To continue making the rice, add the shucked corn to the pot. Mix well. Now add the  cooked rice  ( preferably cold rice) into the pot. Fold in the rice until it is mixed. Add vinegar & black pepper powder. Toss.

Garnish with chopped scallions.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

 I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday #46, Fiesta Friday #127  and Saucy Saturday #52. Angie's co-hosts this week are Suzanne @ apuginthekitchen and Jess @ Cooking Is My Sport.

Cooking made easy:

When I cook rice, I always cook a little more than I actually need. This way, I have some rice in the fridge on hand to rustle something up together in a hurry!

Tip for healthy living:

Eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis is a great way to keep your body in good shape and condition. 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week or 75 mins of vigorous exercise spread through the week is recommended. A minimum of one hour of physical activity every day is recommended for all individuals from 5 years of age!

Food for thought:

It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better. Gianni Versace

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Cranberry Rice; Meatless Monday

Thanksgiving is the only time of the year when we get cranberries. I didn't know what cranberries were until I came to this country. Then I only knew of cranberry juice, which I love and cranberry sauce that comes in a can. Until last year, I had never brought home cranberries as I didn't know what to do with them. Everything changed last year. I made cranberry pecan bread, cranberry chutney, cranberry wild rice pilaf and it all turned out good. This year I am expanding my horizons even further. I made this cranberry rice which was delicious. I tried it with the organic Mekong brown rice from Lotus foods and it came out delicious! I really like their brown rice! It cooks within 30 minutes to a perfect consistency. The texture is great and not chewy. I, who would not eat brown rice before, now look forward to it! No,Lotus Foods is NOT paying me to say this or to write this post. This is entirely my opinion. You have to give it a try to know for yourself if what I say is true. Last time I made Thai Salmon basil fried rice using their organic brown rice and it turned out delicious! I wanted to check if that recipe was what was making it taste so good by using a recipe that was vegan and with no sauces in it. I made this cranberry rice using very few ingredients and with the primary flavor coming from the cranberries. It is a very simple and quick recipe which gives you a delicious meal! 

Servings: 3 ( 1 cup per person)

Ingredients:

Lotus brand organic brown rice : 1 cup
Water: 1 3/4 cup
*Cranberries purée: 1/4 cup
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp ( I used coconut oil)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig ( optional)
Urad dal(Split matpe beans): 1 tsp
Chana dal ( split chick peas): 1 tbsp
Peanut halves: 2 tbsp ( optional if allergic to nuts)
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine( can be adjusted based on individual spice level)
Ginger: 1 inch, minced
Asofoetida ( hing) powder: a pinch
Sugar: a pinch
Salt: as per taste

Method:

* to make cranberry purée, heat 1 cup fresh cranberries with 1 tbsp water until soft around 7-10 minutes. Cool it. Blend when cooled.

In a saucepan, bring 1  3/4 cups water to a boil. Add the brown rice to it and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the flame to low , cover and cook for 30 mins. When the 30 mins are up, fluff the rice with a fork, keep it covered for another 15 mins.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauté pan . Add mustard seeds. 

Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, urad dal, Chana dal,green chillies, ginger, hing and peanut halves one after the other. 

Sauté for a couple of minutes until the lentil and peanuts turn slightly golden in color.

Add the cranberry purée, salt and sugar and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Now add the cooked brown rice and mix gently but thoroughly.

Garnish with freshly grated coconut and/or coriander leaves ( cilantro). This last step is optional. 

Serve hot. I am bringing this to the wonderful Angie's Fiesta Friday #96.

Cooking made easy:

I always look for ways to make my weeknight dinners more efficient. One of my tricks is to make cranberry rice using Cranberry Chutney. I make a big batch of cranberry chutney and use it instead of the cranberry pulp in the above recipe. You can find the recipe for cranberry chutney here.

Tip for healthy living:

Cranberries is a superfood that is a powerhouse of antioxidants. They are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are a rich source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It is known to prevent and help treat urinary tract infection.

Food for thought:

All great achievements require time. Maya Angelou

Wild Blend Rice Cranberry Pilaf

Angie, I am here! I know I am late for the Fiesta Friday anniversary party , but I am here! I have brought this amazing wild rice pilaf!

I love trying new stuff. One such thing is the Wild Blend Rice from Lundberg that I recently got.It is essentially a  blend of wild rice, long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, whole grain Wehani rice, and whole grain black Japonica rice. I have always been fascinated by wild rice. I have eaten wild rice salad many a time and enjoyed it. Brown rice I know is healthy, but I cannot switch it for my regular parboiled or Matta rice. This rice blend was perfect for those times when I wanted something different and a little more exotic.

Being that it is cold outside, I like to eat warm/hot food. I therefore didn't want to make a salad. I also had butternut squash, some green squash, carrots and fresh cranberries on hand and therefore decided to make a pilaf utilizing everything I had on hand. I must say that it came out really good and was gone in no time! I like my rice cooked until tender, I therefore soaked it for a couple of hours so as to reduce the cooking time. Brown rice takes forever to cook! This again is a one-pot recipe, easy to make.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Wild blend rice: 2 cups
Butternut squash: 2 cups, diced medium.
Green squash( zucchini): 1 cup, diced.
Baby carrots: 1 cup
Clarified butter : 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, diced small
Garlic: 3-4 small cloves, minced
Boiling hot water: 5 cups ( you can use vegetable or chicken broth if you wish)
Fresh Cranberries: 1/2 cup, chopped
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp( optional)
Slivered almonds: 1 tbsp( optional)
Pomegranate seeds: 2 tbsp( optional)
Parsley( fresh) : 1 tbsp, chopped
Salt : to taste
Black pepper: 1 tsp,freshly ground ( can adjust as per individual taste)

Method:

Soak the rice blend in water for 1-2 hours. Drain and keep aside. ( This step is optional. I do this to reduce the cooking time and to make the rice more tender).

In a sauté pan or pressure cooker pan, heat butter and olive oil.Add the minced garlic, sauté for few seconds.

Now add the chopped onions and sauté on medium until the onion turns transparent.

Now add in the cashew halves, cranberries; sauté for a minute.

Add in the wild blend rice and the boiling hot water. Add salt, pepper powder,baby carrots, parsley and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

While that is cooking, you can cut the butternut squash and the green squash if you have not done so already.

After 30 mins, add in the butternut squash and the green squash to the pan, stir, cover and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the rice reaches the desired level of tenderness.

Note: if using the pressure cooker/pan to cook, do not use the whistle/weight.Garnish with pomegranate seeds, slivered almonds and cranberries.

Serve hot. 

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Any kind of vegetable can be used in this pilaf. You can use peas and carrots or mushrooms; anything really.

If you don't have fresh cranberries, you can used dried ones.

If you are allergic to nuts, you can skip it. If not, you can even use walnuts or pecans in this recipe.

Tip for healthy living:

Although brown rice is more tedious to cook, it is much healthier for the body. Not only is it less processed, it has a higher dietary fiber content when compared to other kinds of rice. It also has a lower glycemic index and is therefore good for diabetics. It has both the outer bran and germ layers and therefore more vitamins and other nutrients.

Food for thought:

The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson