Delicious Easy Rice Recipes To Try At Home

A complete family meal includes rice. For centuries, rice has been a staple food in many regions in India and in countries like China, Japan and South East Asia. Apart from being versatile, rice has many health benefits. Consuming rice in moderate quantities, helps provide instant energy, rectifies irregular bowel movements and is a good source of Vitamin B1. Combine it with curries, lentils, vegetables, meats, spices or grains and one can rustle up a dish ready to be savored, relished and thoroughly enjoyed. Think of piping hot khichdi made with rice and served with a generous amount of ghee...yummy right?

Here are some delicious rice recipes that are a definite crowd pleaser.

Tawa Pulao

A very popular street food in Mumbai, this dish is prepared on a tawa (griddle). The dish includes boiled vegetables like peas, beans, carrots, peppers and a dash of pav bhaji masala.

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Boil shelled green peas, chopped beans and carrots till tender. Do not over cook. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds and onions. Sauté till onions turn brown. Add ginger – garlic paste, tomatoes and cook till tomatoes become soft. To this add green peas, carrot, beans, chopped peppers, pav bhaji masala, red chilli powder, turmeric water and a little water. Mix well and cook for two to three minutes. Add precooked rice and mix again. Add salt, coriander leaves, a dash of lemon juice and stir. Cook for sometime and a fabulous dish is ready to be served.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Most people would agree that this is a very popular Indo – Chinese dish. Lets look at this simple recipe of vegetable fried rice.

Heat oil in a wok. Add finely chopped garlic and ginger fry till fragrant. Add chopped spring onions and saute for couple of minutes. Add chopped vegetables of your choice like carrots, peppers, beans, mushrooms and stir fry on high flame. Take care not to burn the vegetables and cook them till some crunch remains. Add ground pepper, soy sauce, white vinegar and some salt to taste. Mix well. Add  pre-cooked rice (al dente) and stir fry continuously. Serve hot garnished with chopped spring onions.

Pineapple Rice

This one is a favorite among many Thai food lovers. What makes the dish unique, is it’s final presentation. Pineapple Rice is usually served in the fruit itself – the shell of the pineapple makes for the serving bowl. This fancy dish is perfect to be enjoyed on a holiday with some colourful and soothing mocktails/ cocktails. Usually made with shrimps, you can make a version with chicken too.

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In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger powder and white pepper and keep aside. Heat olive oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add some chopped garlic, onion and cook till onions brown. Add diced chicken or whole shrimp as per choice. Then add carrots, corns, peas and cook, stirring constantly until vegetables are tender. Ensure that if shrimps are added, they do not overcook. Add pre cooked rice, pineapple, green onions and the  mixture previously set aside in the bowl. Cook for 2 minutes and serve immediately in a Pineapple shell.

Jaggery Rice

Not a very popular rice preparation but try making this recipe for something different. Jaggery and rice are the main ingredients; combined with cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves and raisins. They can be further garnished with dry fruits of choice.

Soak some jaggery in water for 30 minutes till soft. Bring enough water to boil and add some soaked and washed rice, cloves and cardamoms. Allow the rice to cook. Drain the rice once cooked by placing in a colander. Place a heavy bottomed pan on flame. Add ghee, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, rice and mix well. Lower the heat, and mix in the jaggery. Stir for a couple of minutes till cooked. Sprinkle some raisins on top and serve.

Tamarind Rice

A delicious tangy and spicy rice preparation, perfect for days when all you want to eat is a palate teaser. Extract pulp from 50 gms tamarind and keep aside. Roast together 3-4 dried red chilies, 1 tsp urad and chana dal, 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, some peppercorns till fragrant. When cool, add a pinch of hing and dry grind. Now add 2 tbsp sesame oil in a kadhai and add mustard seeds, 1 tsp of urad and chana dal along with few peanuts. Fry till golden. Lower flame, add pinch of hing, some turmeric powder, curry leaves and 2 red chilies. Add the extracted and strained tamarind pulp. Mix well. Add salt and jaggery to taste. Cook the mix till it thickens. Now add the ground spice powder and mix again. Cook for 5-10 minutes till you achieve a nice chutney like consistency. Add 3 1/2 cups cooked rice and switch off the flame. Serve hot.

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