HARA MASALA BROWN RICE PILAF WITH TANGY RAW MANGO

I love and simply enjoy eating rice and being an Assamese it comes quite naturally to you. We just love to eat our favorite portion of curry with bowl full of steamed rice.

While growing up, we could happily live all our days without bread as long as we got to eat a full bowl of rice. White rice was the only available form in our side of the world but I have slowly started to enjoy recipes made of brown rice for its hearty, nutty flavor.

I cooked Brown Rice Hara Masala Pilaf a couple of weeks ago and made it with my own variation. It is simple and it’s quick to make, if you make it in cooker. I made this early morning as I had to carry it in my lunch box for work.

It is extremely healthy and full of fiber and nutrients. 

My mum in law believes that it's a poor man’s food :) She says when you can relish the sophisticated polished white rice then why should we opt for tasteless brown rice. However in recent times people have started changing their views towards food and moved towards health food and finally brown rice came back with a bang.

Now this does not mean I do not eat white rice, I do but occasionally I prefer eating brown rice over white rice. “Hara Masala Pilaf” is especially for people who want to carry something filling and healthy for work or may be have less time to cook their lunch or dinner.

What I liked about this dish is that it’s so versatile and quick; it goes amazingly well with any Raita or just plain curd. An excellent way to use up some left over rice as well. 

This is a really filling dish which does not require any accompaniment. Do add in the vegetables of your choice, and vary the spice accordingly. Brown Rice also contains more fiber and less glycemic index, so its highly recommended for diabetics too :)

Only point to note with brown rice, esp for pilaf is to soak it a little longer and cook with slightly less water than usual basmati rice. This may be cooked in the pressure cooker or in a large pan. Like all other pilaf, take care to handle the cooked rice less it may break and distort the texture of the pilaf. Let’s get to the recipe now :)

Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients for the Hara Masala:

Fresh Coriander Leaved Chopped: 1 ½ cups

Chopped Mint Leaves: ½ cup

Green Chillies:  1-2

Ginger:1/2 pinch

Boiled Green peas: ½ cup

Raw Mango Chopped: ½ cup

Garlic: 4- 5 chopped garlic

Ingredients for the Pilaf:

Brown Rice: 1 ½ cup

Olive oil :1 tablespoon

Cinnamon: 1 inch stick

Green cardamoms:3

Cloves: 3-4    

Onion: 1 chopped      

Shreded Carrot: 1 medium

Salt: to taste

Method:

1.       Soak brown rice in two and half cups of water for one hour. Drain and set aside.

2.      To cook the rice, wash and drain rice and put it in the pressure cook it in two cups of water for two whistles.  Now reduce the heat to a low/simmer and cook it for 15 minutes before turning off the gas.

3.      Combine all the ingredients for the green paste and grind it to a smooth mixture.

4.      Next step is to open the pressure cook and dig out the cooked rice to rest.

5.      Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and sauté till fragrant. Add onion and sauté till it turns translucent.

6.      Now add the green masala paste, shredded carrots, salt and stir it uniformly to mix well. Cook it for 10-15 minutes on low flame stirring continuously to avoid burning.

7.      Final step is to add cooked rice to the mixture and cooking it for 5 minutes before serving it with curd of your choice.

8.      You can garnish it with shredded carrots.