GARLIC FRIED RICE

I have not been posting anything for the past four months as I was preoccupied with so many things. My little angel keeps me busy throughout the day. Mastering the art of motherhood is a big challenge. I have learnt to multitask by feeding, diapering, swaddling and become an instant soothing machine when need be. That said, I admit that blogging has taken the back burner for the time being though I have not refrained myself from cooking . 

I  am back after a 3 week roller coaster trip to India. Catching up with relatives, chit chatting with friends, lots of laughter and tasting wonderful home cooked food by loved ones was the agenda and of course not to mention an additional 2 kg weight gain. 

I took full advantage of this pampering session as this was my first visit to India after I delivered.  While I had  the privilege of deciding the menu everyday,Amma, Chithi, Mami and Paati were cautious to ensure that I ate the right food as I am still the new mum. 

I spent considerable amount of time with my aunt, Vimala Chithi during my visit. She is my mother's younger sister and I am very much attached to her. I jokingly call my Mom Devaki and my aunt Yashodha, since her role play in my upbringing has been tremendous. Chithi is a bold, outgoing and talented lady with varied interests like painting, hand crafting, embroidery, rangoli, batik, pencil sketching, baking and of course cooking. We share a very special bonding that cannot be put short into a simple sentence. I love her a lot and I will always love her like my own mother.This Garlic Fried rice happens to be one of her signature recipes that I always crave to have. Click here to see my post on health benefits of Garlic.

Preparation Time : 15 min                     
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Yields : 2 -3
Category: Lunch
Cuisine : Indo Chinese
Recipe Source: Vimala Chithi

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Basmathi or any long grained rice

3 heads of Garlic peeled and sliced

( I used the smaller variety. Yielded 25 small cloves)

2 to 3 green chillies, slit

1 big onion sliced

1 tbsp green chilli sauce

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp white pepper powder 

3 tbsp of Mustard or cooking oil

3 tbsp Ghee

A fistful of Halved cashew nuts ( Optional)

Salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

METHOD

• Wash and Pressure cook Basmathi rice to one whistle with a little salt and oil. The rice to water ratio is 1:1.5. Once done, transfer it to a colander. Give it a good shake to drain any excess water. Set aside to cool.
• Heat Oil and Ghee in a Kadai or a wide pan. Fry the cashew nuts and keep it aside on a plate to add later.
• In the same pan, saute the green chillies and sliced onions followed by the slit garlic cloves. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute well in medium flame until the raw flavour is not felt anymore.
• Next add the green chilli sauce, pepper powder, salt and sugar and saute well. 
• Add the rice in small batches and mix well until everything is combined. 
• Add a dash of soy sauce and vinegar if you like the authentic chinese flavours. I skipped this step as I wanted the garlic to dominate. 
• Switch off and stir in the cashew nuts. Serve hot with tomato sauce or any other Chinese style gravy or curry of your choice.

NOTES

• Mustard oil imparts a characteristic odour to the food that may not be likable to many. Use the normal oil if you don t prefer Mustard oil.
• Adjust the quantity of chillies depending on its pungency level and also adjust the pepper powder accordingly.
• Remember to add less salt while sauteing as we have already salted the rice while cooking.
• If you want to soak the rice prior to cooking, then just add 11/4 cup of water and soak for 20 mins. Then pressure cook by adding salt and oil to one whistle.