I wanted to make a soyabean fried rice but something more pulao than a Chinese fried rice. Yet something that used up the red chilly sauce as well as homemade white butter which was available. Many times I tend to stick to authentic cooking styles when cooking a dish. The intention is to get authentic taste. But anyone knowing a little bit about history and food history will question when claims are made of something being "purely" Indian. Influences from other cultures have been absorbed and assimilated in all aspects of human life everywhere across the globe since centuries, food being no exception.
Using this thought as inspiration I decided to do just as I pleased and came up with the below outcome. Others who ate the rice thought it was "interesting", a second helping was had and the bowl was scraped empty. One must warn though that the dish has a fairly earthy taste so it is not for those days when you are more inclined towards fresher flavours. It is hot but not spicy and subtle once you get used to the soyabean.
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice (white rice recommended over red rice)
1 1/2 cup mince of blanched soya chunks
1 cup chopped red onion
1 large red chilly
1 inch of ginger, grated
1 clove of garlic peeled and crushed
1 tsp red chilly sauce
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp butter
7-8 cashewnuts, halved or coarsely chopped
5-6 sprigs of coriander
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp butter or olive oil or ghee for cooking the rice
Salt
Preparation:
Soak the red chilly in warm water for about 45 minutes and chop finely or coarsely grind to a paste.
Soak rice in twice as much water for ten minutes before cooking. Add some butter/oil/ghee and a pinch of salt to it while cooking. Butter/oil/ghee prevents the grains from sticking to each other. Leave rice uncovered once cooked so that the steam escapes and no excess moisture is retained. My rice was soft, moist yet the grains well-separated from each other. Using red rice will enhance the earthy/dense taste the dish acquires because of soyabean so I recommend white rice instead to balance it out.
Blanch soya granules/chunks for about 5-7 minutes, drain away all the water and run through the blender for just a bit.
Steps:
1. Heat half the butter in a pan. Fry cashewnuts to a light golden brown, remove to a bowl and fry 1/4 of the chopped onions to a light pink.
2. Heat the butter in the pan again and add the ginger and garlic to it. Add chillies and the remaining of chopped onion. Fry the onion to a light pink (not brown as it would dry the onion of moisture and also change its taste) and add the soya mince. Saute for a minute and ensure any remaining water evaporates.
3. Now add the rice and mix gently to avoid breaking the grains. Add salt but remember some was added while cooking the rice.
4. Add the chilly sauce, cumin and coriander powder and the remaining butter and mix well. Garnish with the fried cashewnuts, onion, lemon juice and plenty of coriander. I agree mine didn't have plenty of it.
Here's what I got:
Using this thought as inspiration I decided to do just as I pleased and came up with the below outcome. Others who ate the rice thought it was "interesting", a second helping was had and the bowl was scraped empty. One must warn though that the dish has a fairly earthy taste so it is not for those days when you are more inclined towards fresher flavours. It is hot but not spicy and subtle once you get used to the soyabean.
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice (white rice recommended over red rice)
1 1/2 cup mince of blanched soya chunks
1 cup chopped red onion
1 large red chilly
1 inch of ginger, grated
1 clove of garlic peeled and crushed
1 tsp red chilly sauce
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp butter
7-8 cashewnuts, halved or coarsely chopped
5-6 sprigs of coriander
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp butter or olive oil or ghee for cooking the rice
Salt
Preparation:
Soak the red chilly in warm water for about 45 minutes and chop finely or coarsely grind to a paste.
Soak rice in twice as much water for ten minutes before cooking. Add some butter/oil/ghee and a pinch of salt to it while cooking. Butter/oil/ghee prevents the grains from sticking to each other. Leave rice uncovered once cooked so that the steam escapes and no excess moisture is retained. My rice was soft, moist yet the grains well-separated from each other. Using red rice will enhance the earthy/dense taste the dish acquires because of soyabean so I recommend white rice instead to balance it out.
Blanch soya granules/chunks for about 5-7 minutes, drain away all the water and run through the blender for just a bit.
Steps:
1. Heat half the butter in a pan. Fry cashewnuts to a light golden brown, remove to a bowl and fry 1/4 of the chopped onions to a light pink.
2. Heat the butter in the pan again and add the ginger and garlic to it. Add chillies and the remaining of chopped onion. Fry the onion to a light pink (not brown as it would dry the onion of moisture and also change its taste) and add the soya mince. Saute for a minute and ensure any remaining water evaporates.
3. Now add the rice and mix gently to avoid breaking the grains. Add salt but remember some was added while cooking the rice.
4. Add the chilly sauce, cumin and coriander powder and the remaining butter and mix well. Garnish with the fried cashewnuts, onion, lemon juice and plenty of coriander. I agree mine didn't have plenty of it.
Here's what I got:
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