Egg Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked rice	3 cups
Egg	2 nos
Onion	1 medium
Green chilli	1 small
Garlic	2 cloves
Red chilli powder	½ tsp
Coriander powder	½ tsp
Turmeric	little
Curry leaves	6-8
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Oil	2+1 tbsp
Cashew	5

Method:

1. Heat a kadai with 1 tbsp of oil. Beat eggs with 2 pinch of salt and add to medium hot oil. Lower the flame and scramble the eggs till cooked. Transfer it into a plate and keep aside.
2. Chop onion and green chilli into fine pieces. Crush garlic and chop into fine.
3. To the same kadai, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add chopped onions, green chilli and garlic pieces. Fry till dark pink. Do not brown. Lower the flame and add red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Fry for a second. Spread cooked rice and gently mix. Check salt. If needed, adjust with little more and again mix without breaking the rice.
4. Now add scrambled eggs and mix again till well combined. Switch off the flame. Mix once again. Egg rice is ready.

Serve hot as it is or can be packed for lunch with any spicy side dish.

Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

 

Cooked rice	3 cups
Carrot	1 small
Onion	1 small
Red chilli	1
Red chilli powder	¼ tsp
Coriander powder	¼ tsp
Salt	½ tsp
Mustard	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Oil	2 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel the skin of the carrot and cut the carrot into small bits or can be grated using big hole. Then roughly chop. Chop onion into fine pieces. Break red chilli and discard the seeds.
2. Heat a kadai with oil to medium hot. Add mustard and allow to splutter. Then add onion pieces, red chilli and curry leaves. Fry till onion pieces turns into pink. Lower the flame and add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Mix and fry for a second. Now add carrot bits and coriander leaves with two tbsp of water. Mix, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Now open the lid and cook till little dry or oil appears on the sides.
3. Now spread cooked rice over this and mix gently without breaking the rice till well combined. Check salt. If needed adjust with little more. Again mix well and switch off the flame.
4. After 5 minutes, mix once again. Carrot rice is ready.

Serve hot or pack for lunch.

Suggestion: One day old cooked rice is best to use. If taken out from fridge, bring to normal temperature and then use. If preparing fresh, spread the hot cooked rice in a wide plate to completely cool down (or can be kept in fridge for half-hour to one-hour). Then use for the recipe. Rice should not be too soft. Take care not to over cook the rice.   

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked rice	3 cups
Tomato	1 medium
Red chilli powder	½ tsp
Coriander powder	½ tsp
Turmeric	a pinch
Salt	½ tsp
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Cashew	6 nos
Oil	2 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut tomato into thin slices. Break cashew into bits.
2. Heat a kadai with oil. Add mustard and allow to splutter. Lower the flame and add cashew bits. Fry for a second. Then add tomato slices, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Cook till tomatoes becomes soft and oil appears on the sides. Now add curry leaves and coriander leaves. Cook for 2-3 seconds.
3. Now spread cooked rice and gently mix. Take care not to break the rice. Once evenly mixed, switch off the flame. Check salt. If needed adjust with little more and mix again. Cover and keep aside for 20-30 minutes to allow the rice to absorb all the flavour.
4. After 20 minutes, once again mix. Simple tomato rice is ready.

Best packing for lunch and for travelling.

Suggestion: One day old cooked rice is best to use. If taken out from fridge, bring to normal temperature and then use. If preparing fresh, spread the hot cooked rice in a wide plate to completely cool down (or can be kept in fridge for half-hour to one-hour). Then use for the recipe. Rice should not be too soft. Take care not to overcook the rice.

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked rice	3 cups
Beetroot	½ from small
Onion	1 medium
Red chilli powder	½ tsp
Coriander powder	½ tsp
Salt	½ tsp
Mustard	1/8 tsp
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Oil	2 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel the skin and chop beetroot into fine, small bits. Chop onion into fine pieces.
2. Heat a kadai with oil to medium hot. Add mustard and allow to splutter. Add onion pieces and fry till it turns into pink. Lower the flame and add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Fry for a second. Then add beetroot bits, salt, curry leaves and coriander leaves with 3-4 tbsp of water. Mix, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Open the lid and cook till dry or oil appears on the sides.
3. Now spread cooked rice over this. Mix gently until all combined well. Take care not to break the rice. Check salt. If needed adjust with little more. Mix once again and switch off the flame.
4. Leave it for 5 minutes and then mix again. Beetroot rice is ready.

Serve hot or can be packed for lunch.

Suggestion: One day old cooked rice is best to use. If taken out from fridge, bring to normal temperature and then use. If preparing fresh, spread the hot cooked rice in a wide plate to completely cool down (or can be kept in fridge for half-hour to one-hour). Then use for the recipe. Rice should not be too soft. Take care not to overcook the rice.

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked rice	3 cups
Tamarind	4 one inch pieces
Red chilli	2 nos
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Cashew	6 – 8
Turmeric	a pinch
Red chilli powder	little ( 2 pinch)
Coriander powder	little ( 2 pinch)
Mustard	¼ tsp
Gram dhal	¼ tsp (optional)
Fried groundnut	1 tbsp (optional)
Sambar powder	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or to taste
Oil	2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in ¼ cup of water for 15 min. Squeeze and strain to take thick pulp. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, curry leaves and salt. Mix well and keep aside.
2. Break red chillies and discard the seeds. Break cashew into bits.
3. Heat a kadai with oil to medium hot. Add mustard and allow to splutter. Lower the flame and add gram dhal (if using). Fry till light golden brown. Now add red chillies and broken cashew bits. Fry a little bit (take care not to burn the cashew).
4. Now add tamarind pulp mix. Raise the flame and allow to boil. When consistency becomes thick, lower the flame and add sambar powder. Cook till oil floats on the top. Take care not to dry the mix.
5. Now spread cooked rice and mix gently without breaking the rice. Once it completely mixed, switch off the flame. Check salt. If needed, adjust with little more and mix gently. Now sprinkle fried groundnuts if using (remove the skin and break into two).
6. Cover and keep aside for 20-30 minutes to allow the rice to absorb all the flavour. Tamarind rice is ready.

Suggestion: One day old cooked rice is best to use. If taken out from fridge, bring to normal temperature and then use. If preparing fresh, spread the hot cooked rice in a wide plate to completely cool down (or can be kept in fridge for half-hour to one-hour). Then use for the recipe. Rice should not be too soft. Take care not to overcook the rice.

Best to pack for lunch and for travelling.