Masala Rice

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare. It is less spicy but a tasty dish, which can be prepared as an alternative to breakfast or a quick meal.

Ingredients:

• rice (steam cooked) - 4 cups
• potato - 1
• onion - 2
• green chillies - 4
• green peas (frozen) - a fistful
• garlic pods - 10 to 15
• ginger - 1 inch long
• cloves - 4 or 5
• cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• garam masala - 1 tablespoon
• salt
• oil - 2 tablespoons
• fresh coriander leaves - 1 bunch
• lemon juice - 2 tablespoons

Procedure:
1. Chop the onion, slit the green chillies, cut potato into small cubes, peel off the garlic pods, grate the ginger.
2. Heat oil in pan and add cloves, cinnamon, garlic pods and grated ginger. Fry them slightly till ginger looses the raw smell.
3. Add onion, chillies, peas, potato cubes in the pan. Cover the pan with lid and let it cooked for 5 minutes on medium flame. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
4. When potato cubes are cooked, add salt to taste and the garam masala for spice and flavor.

5. Now add the cooked rice and cover the pan with lid. Check the taste and add salt if required. Let it cooked for 5 minutes on low flame.

6. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

7. Adding a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice will give a great flavor to it.

Now, masala rice is ready to be served .. :)

Variant:

The above procedure uses cooked rice and it is quick and can be done by anybody.

The other way to prepare this dish, is to cook the rice along with the vegetables, which needs a little more attention and gets better with experience. Of course, this way it is even tastier.

Steps 1 through 4 remains the same, except that use a cooking bowl (instead of non-stick pan) that can be placed in pressure cooker.

5. Add 4 cups water (for 2 cups of cleaned and soaked rice) and bring it to boil.

6. When the water comes to boil, add the soaked rice. Check the taste and add salt if required.

7. Now place the bowl on the flame or in pressure cooker and let it cooked in the same way just like you cook rice.

8. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice to the masala rice and mix well, just before serving.