Green Rice

I am here with another simple rice dish, which I call green rice as I use green vegetables beans, capsicum and peas. For the masala part of the rice I use coriander, mint and tomatoes. (I sometimes avoid tomatoes too just to amuse kids and say that no vegetable which is not green can go into green rice!) When I make this for dinner or for get-togethers I add onions and garlic. I also add little more garam masala.

This is a perfect recipe for school lunch (work lunch) as onions are avoided and garlic can be skipped too. I prepare the mixture ahead on the weekend as it saves lot of time in the busy morning schedule. I cook the rice with little oil, salt and water, when it is half cooked I add the prepared veggie mixture and continue cooking until the rice is cooked. Fresh rice with vegetables is ready to take for lunches.

Wash and chop beans, bell pepper into pieces. I used frozen peas.

Rinse stalks of coriander and mint leaves. Wash tomato and green chillies. Peel the skin of the ginger and wash.

Grind them together into a paste.

Keep it aside.

In a pan heat 3 tbsp. of oil and add garam masala (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

          

Add beans into the pan.

Once beans are about half cooked add bell pepper and peas. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the ground masala.

Cook for about 10 minutes until the raw smell of the ground paste is gone and everything is cooked well.

Wash 2 cups of rice, add 4 cups of water and cook the rice by your preferred way of cooking rice. Add few tsps. of oil and salt. I am using rice cooker here.

  

Once rice comes to a good boil, add the prepared veggie mixture and continue cooking. It takes about another 20 minutes.

Green rice is ready!

Ingredients:

Rice                                                      – 2 cups

Green beans                                     – a bunch ( about ¾ cup cut)

Bell pepper (capsicum)                     – ½

Peas                                                      – about ½ cup

Tomato                                                   – 1

Coriander leaves                              – ½ cup chopped

Mint leaves                                        – ½ cup chopped

Green chilies                                      – 2 to 4

Ginger                                                  – 1 cm piece

Ghee or oil                                          – 3 tbsp.

Garam masala                                   – a bayleaf, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon stick

Method:

• Wash and cut green beans and capsicum into pieces.
• Grind tomato, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, and ginger into paste.
• In a pan add 3 tbsp. of oil or ghee (or mixture of both). Add garam masala.
• Stir for few seconds, add beans and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Add bell pepper and peas along with salt. Cook for about 3 minutes and add ground paste to this. Let this cook for another 10 minutes and switch off the stove.
• Wash and add 4 cups of water to rice. Add few tsps. of oil and salt to the water and cook the rice.
• When water comes to boil, add prepared veggie mixture and continue cooking until rice is cooked.
• Green rice is ready!