Fried rice...

Quick, easy, delicious.... Fried Rice is a life savior for me. Whether I'm not in a mood to cook something elaborate or preparing a special dinner for my family, in several occasions I end up with this simple fried rice. Add loads of veggies and meat, it is a dish in itself. Or keep it simple and serve with chilli chicken, sweet and sour chicken or chilli fish. It is versatile. Vegetarian or non-veg, it tastes good either way. And it is a great way to end up your leftover rice.

I use cooked jasmine rice to make fried rice. If you do not get jasmine rice, use good quality long grain rice. It is better if you are using cooked rice made last night or cooked at least 6-8 hrs before preparing the fried rice. To know to how to cook jasmine rice click here.

Things needed to make Fried Rice:

• Cooked jasmine rice: 4 cups
• Carrot: 1/4 cup
• Green pea: 1/4 cup
• Bell peppers: 1/4 cup
• Onion: 3 tbsp
• Garlic: 1 tsp
• Spring onion (the green part): a handful
• Egg: 2
• Soy sauce: 2-3 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder for seasoning
• Oil to cook

Steps of making Fried Rice:

1. In a wok heat 2-3 table spoons of oil. When the oil is hot add finely chopped garlic, cook for 1 min over high heat, do not burn. Add chopped onions, cook till transparent. Add carrots and cook till tender. Add other vegetables, salt, sugar and cook for 3-4 min. Do not overcook the vegetables, keep them a bit crunchy. You can use any vegetables of your choice.

2. Push aside the vegetables on a side of the wok. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add a teaspoon of oil and when the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs. As the egg sets a bit, mix it with all the vegetables. Cook for 2 min.

3. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, sesame oil and mix well. Break the lumps of cooked jasmine rice before adding. Cook for 3-4 min over high heat, keep tossing the rice. If you are using chicken or other meat or seafood, add the pre-cooked meat or seafood along with the rice(see note below). Take care not to burn the rice, adjust the heat accordingly.

4. Sprinkle chopped spring onion and serve immediately.

NOTE: To add chicken, cut chicken breasts into thin strips, fry the chicken strips with a little salt and black pepper powder. Keep aside. Add it along with the rice. Same way you can add shrimp, fry the shrimps and keep aside, add along with the rice.

Check these recipe to go with the fried rice:

• Chilli chicken
• Chilli fish
• Sweet n sour chicken
• Orange chicken
• Cashew chicken

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Mouri-Potol...Potol with fennel seed

I love to eat Potol(pointed gourd). Except raw, I can have it in any form fried, boiled, curried...

Generally I cook different curries(potol-posto, sorse-potol, doi-potol, potoler dalna, chingri diye potol) with potol those are common in bengali household. Today I wanted to do something different, so did little experiment with them. I choose fennel to flavor my curry. So here is my experimental mouri potol (mouri=fennel; potol=pointed gourd).

Things you need to make Mouri Potol:

Potol: 500gm

Yogurt: 1/2 cup

Fennel: 2tsp

Ginger(grated): 1tbsp

Green chilies(chopped): 3-4

Dry red chili: 3-4

Cardamom: 2-3

Cinnamon: 1 inch stick

Bay leaf: 1

Shah jeera(black cumin): 1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar: 1tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder: 1/2tsp

Oil

How to make Mouri Potol:

1. Make a smooth paste of fennel seed, grated ginger and chopped green chilies, keep it aside. If you dry grind the fennel first then add grated ginger and chopped green chilies, it will be easier to make a smooth paste.

2. Bit the yogurt with little water and sugar, there should be no lumps in the yogurt, keep it aside.

3. Scrap the skin of potol and peel alternately and make slits on both the ponted ends.

4. Put oil in the kadai or pan, when the oil is hot add the potol. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder, and fry the potol.

5. Fry the potol till it takes nice brown color. Take out the potol and keep aside.

6. On that same oil add bay leaf, dry red chilies, cardamom, cinnamon stick, shah jeera. As the masalas leave a nice aroma add the fennel-ginger-green chili paste. Cook for 2min.

7. Add the beaten yogurt. Keep stirring continuously and keep the flame to medium, till the yogurt is cooked. To know the yogurt is cooked or not, if you can smell the raw yogurt then you nedd to cook longer and when the yogurt is done, you can see oil separating from the yogurt and giving a nice shine to the gravy.

8. Add kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, sugar. Add the fried potol. Mix well. Add little water( I added 1/2 cup). As the gravy boils reduce the flame to medium cover the pan and cook for 10-12min. Check the seasoning, adjust accordingly.

We had this with white rice. The spicy green chilies were nicely balanced with the yogurt. And the aroma of fennel and the dry spices gave the dish a wonderful flavor...above all my daughter liked it very much, so a happy ending and a successful experiment..:)