Vegetarian fried rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 3 cups
Carrots 2 large
Broad beans 15 or fine beans 100 Gms
Spring cabbage leaves 1 bundle
Onion 1Medium
Salt to taste
Butter 2 tablespoon
Saffron 2 pinches
Water 4 cups or vegetable stock 4 cups

Method:

Soak the saffron in one tablespoon hot water.

Soak the rice in water for 10 minutes, wash well and using a sieve drain the excess water.

Bring water or the vegetable stock to boil and add the rice and the soaked saffron and cook on low heat.

Slice the carrots and cut into small pieces, cut broad beans and shred the cabbage leaves into tiny pieces (Remove stalks first) and keep them separately. (Adjust the quantity of vegetables to suit your taste)

In a pot boil some water and add some salt and put the broad beans into the water and cook until almost tender.

Then add the carrots, and cabbage pieces to the boiling water and let it cook for a further three minutes or until beans have become softer. Do not overcook the vegetables.

When ready, use a sieve to drain the water and save the cooked vegetables.

In a large frying pan place the butter and let it melt, add the diced onion and fry until it is crisp.

Add the vegetable mixture and stir until all the moisture has evaporated.

Add the cooked rice little at a time and mix well. Make sure all the rice is well mixed with the vegetables.

Serve hot with Aubergine kulambu.

Variation:

1) Prawn fried rice: Mix 200 Grams of shrimps with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt and fry in little oil until the prawns are cooked. Mix this with the vegetarian fried rice to give you prawn fried rice.

2) Chicken fried rice: Two skinless, bone less chicken breasts sliced into thin strips, mix this with ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt and fry in little oil until chicken pieces are well cooked. Mix this cooked chicken pieces with the vegetarian fried rice to give chicken fried rice.

3) Egg fried rice: See article on Egg Fried Rice click here