Healthy Soya Pulao

Soya or textured soy protein is a  very important source of protein for a healthy body. I am a big fan of soya chunks and have a couple of recipes based off that.

In my latest dive into getting something quick and healthy for my family for dinner yesterday, I managed pretty good.









Ingredients :

For the Tadka

1. Cummin seeds - 2 tablespoons
2. Oil - 3-4 tablespoons
3. Hing - a pinch ( Asafoetida )
4. Cloves - 2-3 pieces
5. Black Cardamon - 2-3 pieces
6. Bay leaves - 2 medium sized

For the Pulao

1. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. Soya Nuggets - 1 cup ( Boiled in salt water)
3. Baby Spinach leaves ( Spinach leaves cut into small pieces is also OK ) - 2 cups
4. Cut vegetables of your choice - Carrots, beans, cauliflower etc. - I cup total
5. Corn - half a cup
6. Onion - 1 medium cut into small pieces
7. Tomato - 1 medium cut into small pieces ( Optional )
8. Ginger Garlic paste - 2 teaspoons
9. Kasuri Methi - a handful
10. Salt - to taste
11. Black Pepper corns - 10 pieces
12. Lemon Juice - 1 teaspoon
13. Garam Masala - 2 tablespoons
14. Coriander powder - 2.5 tablespoon
15. Red chili powder - 1 tablespoon
16. Biryani Masala - 1 tablespoon (Optional)

For the soya chunks

Preperation :

Boil water in a pan, put 2 teaspoons salt and put the soya chunks it the boiling water.

Let it cook for 15 min. Then drain out the water and rinse the soya chunks with cold water.

Then drain the remaining water and squeeze the chunks with your palm so that the excess water if any is removed.

 

Rice

Microwave recipe:

Take 1 cups of Basmati wash and wash it under running water. Then add 2 cups of water, Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water,  1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil. Microwave it for 15 minutes till the rice is properly cooked.
Slighly fluff the rice with a fork so that it does not stick together.

Add the 1 cup of washed rice in a pan & add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil. and fried cummin seeds. Add 1 bay leave for flavor. Then fill it up with 2 cups of wate. Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water, add the lemon juice and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 20 min on low flame. Do not stir in between.

When the water has evaporated from the rice we have our aromatic rice ready for more....Slighly fluff the rice with a fork so that it does not stick together.





For the pulao

Heat oil in a pan and add the cummin seeds and the hing into it, when it starts splattering add the cloves and black cardamon into it. Immediately add the cut onions and saute them till golden brown.

Add tomatoes and saute the mix for another 3-4 minutes.

when the oil starts leaving the edges of the mix, add some garam masala, Black pepper corns, Salt, coriander power and the red chili powder and mix it well. Saute the mix for another 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger Garlic paste now and str well.

Then add the Greens and the cut vegetables and saute on medium flame for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked rice and mix it well for about 4-5 minutes till all the dry gravy mix is evenly distributed with the rice. Add the Biryani Masala now and stir it well.

 

 

 

Sprinkle some lemon juice on the rice and Server it hot with boondi Raita...

 and pickle and enjoy the YUM flavorful healthy guiltless dinner / Lunch!

 

 

 

26 Jan Special -Tiranga Rice

Today is India's 61st Republic day - a special day which commemorates the date on which our current constitution came into force. To celebrate this occasion I decided to make Tiranga special Rice.





Ingredients

1. Long grained Basmati Rice 3 cups
2. 1 small Lemon / 2-3 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
3. 1 bunch Spinach cleaned
4. 5 medium size Carrot - Finely shredded
5. 1 medium sized Onion - thinly sliced
6. Salt to Taste
7. 2 teaspoons of Garam Masala powder
8. A handful of Green Pea
9. Non sweet Coconut flakes (optional)

Tadka

1. 4 Tablespoons of Cummin
2. 3 Tablespoons Indian Ghee / sunflower oil
3. 4 cloves
4. 1 black cardamom
5. 1 Cinnamon wood stick
6. 3 Bayleaves

Saffron White Rice :


Take 2 cups of basmati rice in a bowl and wash it in warm running water. Keep aside the 1 cup for later.

Fill a meduim sized Pan with 2 spoons of Indian Ghee (Sunflower oil can be also substituted here for figure healthy ideas) Put the cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, take out half of these for garnishing later on the rice.Add the thinly sliced onions. Fry them until light brown.

When done take out in a dish 2-3 spoonfuls of this mixture to be used for the other portion of rice which we are not cooking here. Add the 2 cups of washed rice and fry on low flame for 4-5 minutes. Then fill it up with 4 cups of water, add the lemon juice and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 20 min on low flame. Do not stir in between.

When the water has evaporated from the rice we have our aromatic rice ready for more....Slighly fluff the rice with a fork so that it does not stick together.





Saffron colored Rice :

Fry the shreded carrots 2-3 tablespoons of oil , Add salt to taste. Take out half of the rice cooked above and fry with the mixture.. this will change the appearance of the White rice to saffron rice. Fry for 5 min and then set aside.

Note : I have used Saffron food color at times when carrots are not available but this is a more healthy recipe.

Now for the extra yummy and healthy green Rice :

Very carefully clean the spinach ( can use frozen Spinach if you have less time ). Chop the spinatch and in a blender pour the cut spinach. Add salt to taste and water just enough to let it blend. Pour about 2 cup of water and blend it well. Put 2 teaspoons of Garam Masala and blend it well.

 
Now we use the earlier set aside mixture of Oil, cummin seeds and fried Onions and heat them in a skillet. Pour the spinach mix and cook for 2 min.




 Place the remaining 1 cup of basmati rice in the vessel to cook rice, and carefully measure the spinach water to be 2 cups only

Pour this blended spinatch mix in rice. Add some Lemon juice for flavouring. Mix the greenpeas and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 15 min on low flame. Do not stir in between.


When the water has evaporated from the rice we have our aromatic rice Slighly fluff the rice with a fork so that it does not stick together.


For the presentation

In a flat base serving dish carefully place rice in order of the color Saffron, White and green mimicing the Indian flag colors. The green rice can be garnished with finely chopped Coriander leaves and the on the white rice carefully sprinkle the fried cummin seeds to make the circle as shown. Shredd some coconut flakes on white rice, and some carrots on the the saffron rice.


There we have our tiranga special rice !! Enjoy this with boondi Raita.

God Bless India...Jai Hind from one Indian to Another...
Pallavi