Veggie Garlic Rice

When you are in a rush and you are managing a baby… and you are starving!; you are bound to come up with some ingenious recipes that not only satisfy your appetite but also tastes good and is healthy too. Aah! yes…this is one of those culinary creations lol. Using the limited ingredients I had in hand I tweaked my Mom's version of simple garlicky rice. It is yet again a kid friendly recipe and also something that can be easily packed for tiffin. I love it as it is very easy and a great way to squeeze in some veggies. Great for fussy eaters!

You can use as little or as much as veggies you like but I prefer the combination of spring onions, mushrooms, capsicum and cabbage. The main flavor here is imparted by the garlic fried in the butter so the more garlic the better. While cooking the rice make sure it is just done and not too mushy. Adding a dash of soy sauce and some white rice vinegar can easily turn this into Chinese fried rice as well. Feel free to experiment ;)

Now onto the recipe…

Veggie Garlic Rice Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 1/2 cup
• Assorted vegetables - 1.5 to 2 cups, finely diced or shredded 
• Butter  - 2 tbsp
• Garlic - 6 cloves, crushed
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 30 mins. Cook the rice till it is just done and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a non stick pan. Add the crushed garlic and sauté on a low flame, stirring continuously till it begins to get crisp. Make sure it doesn't brown or burn.
• Now add all the veggies and cook on a high flame for couple of minutes till they begin to soften. Don't make it too mushy. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the boiled rice and mix well. Combine so that each grain of rice is coated well with the vegetables. Do a taste test to adjust seasoning.
• Gently fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with some chopped spring onions and serve hot with raita and pickle.