Chilli Garlic Rice (Easy lunchbox recipe)

While browsing through mom’s collection of Mallika Badrinath books, I came across this tasty fried rice recipe. The chilli and garlic together make it so flavourful. This can be an ideal lunch box recipe too. If you have the vegetables cut and ready, then it is very easy to make it in the morning and pack for lunch!

INGREDIENTS

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Cabbage - 1 cup (cut length wise)
• Capsicum - 1/4 cup (cut into 1/2 inch pieces length wise)
• Beans -  1/4 cup (cut into 1/2 inch pieces length wise)
• Carrots – ¼ cup (grated)
• Onions – 2
• Spring onions – 1 small bunch
• Sprouted whole green gram – ¼ cup (Soak whole green gram in water overnight. Drain the water and hang in a muslin cloth for a day till it sprouts and it can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator)
• Oil – 3 Tbsp
• Aji-no-moto – ¾ tsp (optional – can be added for extra flavour)
• Salt – as required

Grind Together

• Red chillies – 7 to 9 (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
• Garlic – 5 flakes

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak rice for 10-15 minutes
2. Cook in 15 cups of boiling water, till the rice is half cooked
3. Drain the water and leave it aside to cool completely. Separate the rice grains using a fork so that it dries well
4. Add the ground red chilli-garlic mixture to the rice and mix well
5. Heat oil in a broad pan and fry the vegetables one by one as follows: Onions, beans, carrots, sprouts, capsicum, cabbage and spring onions
6. If you are adding aji-no-moto then add it to the vegetables while frying and stir in a high flame
7. When the vegetables are tender, add salt and cooked rice
8. Continue frying in high flame till the rice is very hot
9. Serve hot with raita or pack it for an interesting lunch break