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Going the rice way

Sample these rice dishes for a different and nutritious packed lunch.

WORKING PEOPLE know the value of a good packed meal.

Over a point of time, people do get fed up with the regular menu for lunch - either chapattis or traditional picnic rice dishes like tamarind rice, lemon rice and curd rice.

These dishes also don't have much nutritive value.

Of course, a few lucky people do manage to carry a complete meal to office, curd included.

The rest, who don't have the time to prepare elaborate meals for lunch but want to eat something different, can try out these simple, but wholesome rice preparations.

Kollu Rice

(Rice with horsegram)

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Horse gram - ¼ cup
Onion (medium) - 1
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Fennel seeds (Sombu) - 1tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeeragam) - 1tsp
Sambar powder - as required
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Garam masala - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for tempering
Coriander leaves - ¼ bunch

Method

1. Clean and soak horse gram and rice for 10 minutes.

2. Slice the onion and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a rice cooker and add mustard, cumin and fennel seeds, curry leaves, onion, sambar powder, garam masala and turmeric. Sauté well.

4. Add 2 cups of water to the sautéed mixture and bring it to boil. Add salt.

5. Add the drained rice and horse gram to the boiling water.

6. Close the cooker and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with raitha or curd.

Note: In place of horse gram, you can also add other pulses.

Murungaikeerai Rice

(Rice with drumstick leaves)

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Toor Dal (Thuvaram paruppu) - ¼ cup
Drumstick leaves - ½ cup
Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Green chillies - 4
Onion (Medium) - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for tempering

Method

1. Clean and soak dal and rice for 10 minutes.

2. Clean and wash the leaves and keep aside.

3. Slit green chillies and slice onion.

4. Heat oil in a rice cooker, add mustard seeds, chillies and onion, fennel and cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Sauté.

5. Add 2 cups of water and salt to the mixture and bring to a boil.

6. Add drained rice and dal and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Sundakkai RiceIngredients

Rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - ¼ cup
Sundaikkai - ¼ cup
Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Garlic - 4 pearls
Onion (Medium) - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Sambar powder - ½ tsp
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for tempering

Method

1. Clean and soak dal and rice for 10 minutes.

2. Crush and wash sundaikkai and keep aside.

3. Crush the garlic and slice onion.

4. Heat oil in a rice cooker, add mustard seeds, garlic, sliced onion, fennel and cumin seeds, sundaikkai, sambar powder and turmeric. Sauté.

5. Add 2 cups of water and salt to the mixture and bring to boil.

6. Add drained rice and dal to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Can be served with curd or raita.

R. SINGARAVELAVAN

(The writer is Head of the Department of Catering Science and Hotel Management,
SNR Sons College, Coimbatore.
Please write in your feedback to cbemetro@thehindu.co.in)

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