Minty Lemon Rice

One pot cooking! Now whoever came up with the idea deserves a noble prize meant for foods or something on those lines. Do they even have a Nobel prize for food? I mean all of us eat food, why not have a prize for someone who comes up with something new that the world accepts whole heartedly ...well I think it deserves more than a pat on the back! Yes I know I'm rambling, I'll stop now! 

So, I had experimented with mint rice, and lemon rice separately. Both different types of pulao or pilaf with such fresh flavours that immediately pick you up, night or day! What I did today was to combine them both and add a few more things to them, just to make it healthier. I like eating healthy. Who doesn't?! Not that I'm a heath food nut or something, but if I can, I try to eat something thats good for my body. But I do make sure that no matter what I'm eating, it has to be absolutely delicious. Should be able to lift my spirits, elevate my mood and satiate my taste buds. This was all that and more. 

For the Minty Lemon Rice you'll need:

2 cups of Rice (washed)

Juice of one Lemon

Bunch of Mint leaves 

1 cup sweet corn kernels boiled

2 Carrots diced

100 gms of string beans chopped 

1 big Onion, chopped

1" ginger

Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp of Oil
Some Coriander
Pinch of love

Method

Cook the rice as you would. I usually boil them in a pot of water, add in a few drops of oil so they don't stick and when they're cooked, I stain them so the starch is almost gone. Put that aside. Or better still, used leftover rice! 

Take a pan, add your oil to it. If you want, you can add butter for flavour instead of oil. Add the cumin to it. Grate the piece of ginger in the oil. I absolutely love the aroma of pungent ginger. Its healing somehow. After sauteing it for bout 2 mins, add the chopped onion to it. Saute till the onions turn paler in colour, almost translucent.

Add the chopped carrots, beans, salt, chilli and turmeric. Cover and steam this till the veggies are almost cooked through. The oil will separate out at this point. 

Now add the boiled corn and mint. Let the leaves wilt. I didn't chop them, just tore them with my hands and in the pan they went!

Add your rice, coriander and lemon juice along with a pinch of love and mix well. 

Give it a taste test! Full of flavour, right?! Adjust the seasoning if you want. Serve piping hot! Yummmm! See, I told you, food can be tasty and healthy too! :)