Green gram and veggie rice

Green gram or cherupayar is very nutritious because of its high protein and dietary fiber content. It can also be used in homemade beauty treatments - for removing acne, sun tan, facial hair and for skin moisturization.

There was a pack of frozen veggies in the freezer. I thought it was a good idea to use it and mix and match! The veggie mix had peas, beans, carrot and cauliflower.

I am reading the short stories of Lalithambika Antharjanam. One of them is a classic called 'Life and death'. Tatri meets her love when acting in a play as a widow. Her love is the playwright. The play talks about abolishing the age old custom that widows cannot remarry. In real life, when he marries her inspite of caste and horoscope issues and defying elders advice, their married life last only for at most a year. Because he falls sick and dies. She follows all the traditions and performs the necessary rituals - wearing white, drinking only a drop of coconut water for four days and nothing else, and other stern rituals lasting a year. Somehow the play has renacted in real life.

Ingredients are,

Veggie mix, frozen - 200 g

Green gram - 1 cup (soaked overnight)

Brown rice - 1 cup

Water - 1 and 1/2 cup

Vegetable soup cube - 1

Salt - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Red chili flakes - 1 tsp

Chicken masala - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Pressure cook green gram in 1/4 cup water for a whistle. Allow to cool and drain any excess water.

Wash rice well. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain water. Add 1 and 1/4 cup water, and vegetable soup cube. Pressure cook. Keep aside to cool.

Heat a saucepan and add oil. When it gets hot, add the frozen veggies. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the cooked green gram. Add salt, turmeric powder, pepper, red chili flakes and chicken masala. Stir for a few minutes so that the vegetables and green gram absorb the spices. Add rice. Stir to mix. That's it, a fabulous quick dinner.