Mexican Fried Rice

Preparing Time : 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Cuisine : Mexican 

Flavored with all the Mexican cuisine must haves , this rice is an easy , spicy and yummy utilization of left over rice and a nice dish for lunch boxes too . This is an inspired recipe when I have seen boxes  of mexican rice with black beans filled many aisles of supermarkets , which is both unhealthy and is  loaded with tons of MSG's , so, I thought of re creating that recipe with simple and exotic ingredients at home and made my victory dance with this bold and tangy rice . 
Any dish when spiced up and cooked with   veggies esp onions , cilantro and lime juice   the taste is multiplied , with all the robust flavors they combinedly offer .  You can play with the ingredients like replace the beans with meats.
Serve with sour cream topped with onions for maximum taste , & I am sure people will surely ask for more & more  .

Pudina/Mint Fried Rice

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Cuisine : South Indian (Fusion )

This is a  smart utilization of left over rice or fresh rice and a simple recipe for lunch boxes with refreshing flavor of mint . Mint or Pudina has a very refreshing flavor which is so unique making it a main ingredient in Dum Biryani , when I have  a bunch of  mint  left in my refrigerator for a long time it made me rethink the option of making the biryani which is painfully very time taking (although tastes amazing ) ,so I opted for a fried rice instead.
The real challenge is to prep for the ingredients  as they  should not be  strong competitors to mint but should enhance it's taste  , hence eliminated traditional ginger garlic & onions.
The key in making the dish lies in the selection of ingredients and the sequence in which they are added, so, I  selected some ingredients which can alone stand up to the taste by not sinking into the strong aroma of mint but add their uniqueness to the dish .Cooking a delicious dish does not end with taste it should provide a  good amount  of carbs , proteins and vitamins  after consuming, try to infuse some protein and green veggies into your plate , as esp rice is full of carbs which may fill the tummy but not the energy .
Infusing some vibrant greens like green peas or lima beans or spinach along with the mint really pops out the color along with taste and you will be happy as your kids enjoy their protein & vitamins  (as for fried rice we need not cook the veggies completely they provide more vibrant color and vitamins /protein ) more in their plate with taste .

Parsley Rice with Almonds Parmesan

Preparing Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 

Cuisine : Italian / Mediterranean 

Rejuvenating green rice  flavored with Parsley and served hot with crunchy almonds Parmesan . 

Parsley is one of the world's best herb or spice that is  cultivated in Europe and widely used in Mediterranean cuisine , esp in Italian Cuisine . This gorgeous green bunch is also a load of health benefits which may make it one of the World's healthiest herb besides it's usage as a "garnish" on food  .If consumed this may help to alleviate problems like arthritis , and promotes healthy heart , and floods your body with anti oxidants which aid you from many infections .

This dish I am sharing today is Italian , as I have used all the Italian cuisine must haves , which includes even cheese , to make a complete Vegan meal I have used Almonds Parmesan  instead of cheese. Italians do make Pilaf with Rice, veggies and meat , which inspired me to make this dish with Parsley as main ingredient which gave a unique flavor to the rice and made this a must have in my hubby's lunch box .

Parsley do look similar to Coriander but with mild flavor and taste unique to that of coriander , so if you want to treat your taste buds with a different flavor than usual try this simple recipe and leave your guests to wonder , that even a herb can be used for flavoring the entire dish without any spices .

Parsley's unique flavor make it a must have in Italian dishes esp in Pizzas, Pasta or soups and now this rice gives it a new place even in Indian cuisine .

Vegetable Fried Rice With Tofu

Fried rice origin is lost to history , but believed that it's origin lies in China . This fried rice I share today is a fusion of both Chinese and Indian cuisines .

Simple Fried rice  and a easy  way to re utilize left over rice or veggies . Its even healthy as all the veggies are half boiled  and I used less oil (contrast to original recipe) and less sodium soy sauce and especially it is homemade 

Soy Chunks, Sesame Chinese Fried Rice

Fried Rice is one of the easiest and yummiest recipe . Why going out for a Chinese Dine out when you can prepare more tasty , healthy, hygienic food at home in no less than 25 minutes . 

This rice recipe is full of protein and dietary fiber with a distinct taste which  makes you crave for more .

Ingredients:
Basmati rice cooked 1 cup
Soy Chunks 1/4 cup
Sesame Seeds 2 table spoons
Garlic Cloves 2 large
Ginger a small piece
Spring Onions 1/2 bunch
Cabbage coarsely shredded 1/4 cup
Carrot  chopped finely 1/4 cup
Capsicum Green finely chopped 1/4 cup
Soy Sauce  1-2 teaspoons( according taste)
Chili Sauce 1 table spoon
Salt for taste
Pepper Powder  
Sesame Oil 1 table spoon
Olive Oil 1 teaspoon

Cooking Time & Calories :

Preparing Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Calories : 190 calories for 100 gms

Method:

Step 1:Cook basmati rice . Chop spring onions, garlic , ginger , capsicum into tiny pieces .

Step 2: Now add water, a little salt to soy chunks and bring to boil. Drain the water run cold water , drain the water and squeeze the  chunks to drain the water completely.

Step 3: Dry roast the sesame seeds in a skillet.

Step 4: Take a skillet add one table spoon of sesame seed oil , when ready add ginger, garlic fry for a minute or until garlic pieces change color to light brown, now add  spring onions and fry for a minute or two.

Step 5: Add carrot pieces , a little of salt and cover it with a lid , as for fried rice all he vegetables taste better if they are half boiled , and cook for  2 minutes .

Step 6: Now add shredded cabbage and capsicum pieces and saute them.

Step 7: Add soy chunks and toss them well by adding a little of salt.

Step 8: Add rice, soy sauce, chili sauce, olive oil  to the vegetables and toss carefully so that rice wont break.

Step 9: After tossing well finally add salt for taste , pepper powder , dry roasted sesame seeds and mix it well.

Step 10: Finally dish it out and garnish with chopped cilantro .

Notes:

• You can add all colored bell peppers for extra taste.
• Add green peas for extra texture and taste .
• You may or may not add chili sauce , soy sauce does take care of the taste . 
• Pepper powder has a unique flavor so do add it at last .
• This fried rice taste it's best when cooked with sesame seeds oil , you can try even with olive oil all alone .

Linking This Dish to :Let's Cook with Seeds