Twice as Rice

Here is two ways to cook curried rice. The first one is done in the microwave and the second in a saucepan. Both are vegetable friendly. The first one I’ve known about for so long that I can’t remember where it came from and the second one is from a magazine I read recently with a few tweaks. They should feed 3-4 people depending on how hungry you all are.

Spicy Rice (microwave style)

250gms of rice – I use basmati

1 onion, diced

2 gloves garlic, crushed

400mls of vegetable stocks – homemade or cubed, I use 2 cubes

100mls orange juice

50gms sultanas

50gms sliced almonds

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp dried coriander

30gms butter

Put the butter in a large bowl (about 2 pints) cover and place in microwave for 30 seconds until the butter is melted. Add the diced and onion, stir and cover. Place back in to microwave for 5 minutes (I like to stir it in the middle of the cooking time but that’s just me). Add the rice, stock, orange juice and spices, cover and put back in the microwave for 15 mins or until the rice is cooked. I like to stir it half way through the cooking time. Add sultanas and almonds and stir, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Then sit down and enjoy it. 

Cauliflower and Bean Biriyani

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground ginger

300g basmati rice

3 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks thickly sliced

3 cloves of garlic

800mls vegetable stock

250g small cauliflower florets

100g small broccoli florets

400g can chickpeas

3 tbsp fresh coriander

50g toasted flaked almonds

Mix together the spices. Heat oil in large pan (I find a saucepan best unless you have deep sided frying pan). Fry the leeks and the garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Add the mixed spices and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, stock, cauliflower, broccoli and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Stir half the coriander into the biriyani and the remaining over the top with the almonds.

NB. I have made this twice and each time all but nearly burnt it to the bottom of the pan, so keep an eye on it. My girls said it was a bit dry but I liked it. In the original recipe they also added 100g spinach leaves but we don’t like them so we didn’t add them but you could. Have fun change however you want to. Oh and by the way it was published in Vegetarian Living – Oct 2011 issue. 

6am

2 weetabix with milk and honey

Orange juice

1 finger of a Drifter bar

Large sausage roll

12md

Carrot cake and caramel hot chocolate with friend in star bucks

2pm

Pepsi

5pm

Fish and chips

2 slices bread and butter

Rollo chocolate desert

Pepsi