Veggi Rice with Soy Buttons

I am back with yet another one pot meal, which is simple, nutritious and tasty at the same time. This dish appears on our dinner table at least a couple of times during every week. Two main reasons being, one - it has perfect balance of carbs, proteins and vitamins, two - my little girl loves it. :-) Now, quickly coming to the recipe part..


Ingredients:

  • Rice - 1 cup
  • Yellow Split Moong Dal - 1 fistful
  • Fresh or Frozen Green Peas (quick cook) - 1/2 cup
  • Carrot finely chopped - 1/2cup
  • Soy buttons - 1 cup
  • Onion (chopped length wise) - 1
  • Green chillies (trimmed at edges) - 1 or 2
  • Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped as chunks
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • Salt
  • Oil + Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Whole Spices:

  • Shajeera - a pinch
  • Cinnamon - a small piece
  • Cloves - 2
  • Cardamom - 1
  • Bay leaf - 1

Procedure:

  1. Wash the rice and moong dal a couple of times and soak in warm water.
  2. Wash the soy buttons a couple of times and soak in hot water.
  3. Put the pressure pan cooker on the stove top. Add oil and ghee.
  4. When oil is warm, add the whole spices one after the other in the same order as they listed above.
  5. After a minute, add garlic, green chillies and onion. Let them fry for a couple of minutes.
  6. Add carrots and peas. Squeeze the water out from soy buttons and add them to the veggies in the pan. Add some salt and keep stirring them together for 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Now add the rice+dal. Mix everything together and let it be for a minute. Add 2 cups water, enough salt to the rice and add finely chopped coriander.
  8. Now, close the lid of pressure pan. DO NOT PUT THE WEIGHT. 
  9. Put the high flame until the pressure builds up inside the cooker and steam starts escaping out from the top nozzle of cooker. Now reduce the flame to lowest possible and let it be cooked. Turn the flame off after 12 to 15 minutes. 
  10. Open the lid after a couple of minutes and fluff the rice with a fork. 
Ready to be served!! 
It doesn't need an accompaniment when eaten readily after cooking, when still warm. Otherwise, can be eaten along with a side serving of pickle or yoghurt or some raita.

Some Useful Notes:

  • Soy chunks makes this dish nutritious and protein rich, which is otherwise a simple one. If you carefully watch the measurements, the rice quantity is less than half of the veggies and soy put together. 
  • We can add/remove any vegetables of our choice like, beans, potato, capsicum etc..
  • Following the exact measures will make the dish very mild, but quite enjoyable for a family with kids. The spice level can increased to individual's taste by simply adding the garam masala during the steps 6 or 7.
  • Soy buttons are simply bite sized chunks of soy. Soaking in hot water for few minutes makes them softer and squeezing the water out will remove its strange smell :-)