Chilli Coriander Brown Rice with Mushrooms

The past one month has zoomed by so quickly that I can hardly tell where the days vanished! Everything seems to be a blur. All I know is that a ton of recipes were tried and tested and enjoyed but none were noted down (shucks!) ** except ** ofcourse, this recipe for a lovely one pot meal that I made several times in the past few weeks. Since we are trying to eat healthy as far as possible I found myself buying a bag of brown basmati rice sometime last month. I was hesitant at first as I wasn’t sure how to cook it right and whether there would be any takers for it at home. To my surprise, my experiment was a success and the final product, a big hit. The first time I made it I served it with grilled salmon (recipe coming up shortly – still experimenting with the flavours). The combination of flavours was awesome! I did not add mushrooms to the rice at that time but had served it alongside the fish. Over a period of time I have tried adding different veggies to this preparation but I guess it tastes best with mushrooms or without them (simple and plain chilli-coriander rice).

This has been by far the simplest way to make pulao/flavoured rice with brown basmati as the pressure cooker helps cook it faster and then all you have to do is mince some garlic and coriander leaves and throw everything together. A final seasoning of salt & lime juice adds a completely new dimension to this otherwise simple preparation.

If you are health conscious and are looking for low-cal meals this recipe is a must try. You can make this in a non-stick pan with only a few drops of oil to fry the garlic & chillies and then cook the rice in regular water instead of stock to further reduce calories. Add more leafy greens to fortify this meal. Pick from spinach (palak), fenugreek leaves (methi), mint, amaranth leaves or beet greens to make it a super nutritious pot of rice. And yes, if you are a die hard non veggie, a few chunks of pre boiled chicken will only make it super yummy!

My son totally loves it as the grains have a bite to it and a nutty taste too! If you like, you can increase the ratio of rice to water from 1:2-1/2 (as per my recipe belwo) to 1:3 (for every one cups of rice, add 3 cups of water/stock to make it slightly mushy/overcooked).

I do hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does. If you liked this recipe do drop me an email at ruchikrandhap@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and GooglePlus and leave your comments!

Chilli Coriander Brown Rice with Mushrooms
Prep time: 5-10mins | Cook time: 30-35 mins | Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the rice:

1 cup brown basmati rice
2-1/2 cups water (or chicken/vegetable stock)

For the seasoning:

2 teaspoons olive oil (not extra virgin) or any regular oil
4-5 fat cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 green chillies, minced (deseeded to tone down spice if required)
1 cup (packed) coriander leaves, chopped
10-12 button mushrooms, sliced
lime juice as required
salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash the rice in a couple of changes of water. Drain and keep aside
2. In a pressure cooker bring the 2-1/2 cups of water or stock to a rolling boil and add the washed and drained rice. Let the mixture come to a boil again. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and place the weight (whistle) and cook on a full heat for about 7-8 whistles. Then turn off the heat and let the rice cook in the steam (do not remove the whistle either) for 25 mins * see notes
3. When the time is done, open the cooker and fluff up the rice using a fork.
4. In a heavy based wok/kadai heat the oil and fry the garlic and chillies on a medium heat till the raw smell vanishes. Do not brown the garlic.
5. Toss in the chopped coriander and fry for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook them on a high heat as they will release a lot of water. Cook until most of the water has evaporated.
6. Add the precooked brown rice and give it a good mix. Sprinkle salt to taste and the lime juice. Mix.
7. Serve hot with any accompaniment of your choice (salan, curd, raitha, curry, keema) or just eat it plain. Tastes yum!

Notes:
1. Depending on the quality and age of the brown basmati rice, it may take upto 25-30 minutes under pressure. Keep a timer for 25 minutes and if the rice is not yet done (rice feels hard and water is still remaining) you can continue to cook it for another 5 minutes.
2. I used Mina brand of brown basmati that is available in Union Co-operative supermarket here in Dubai. You may use any brand of brown basmati for this recipe. You can also make it with regular white basmati rice in which case the ratio of rice to water will be 1:2 (for every 1 cup of rice, you need to use 2 cups of water/stock)

Comments

Rafeeda AR says

November 28, 2016 at 5:21 am

Which brown rice did you use? The first time I cooked, it turned out well but took 30 minutes to cook, so second time, tried in the cooker and got overcooked rice… hehe… this is a very comforting meal…

Shireen says

December 4, 2016 at 4:31 am

@ Rafee: I used Mina brand of brown rice as I've mentioned it in my notes section. I bought it from Union Co-op 🙂

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