Basmati rice with beans, peas and capsicum

It is cooked in the Chinese and Indian style. Quite a mixed dish, but vegetarian. Goes well with yogurt and papad. You can add protein by mixing in some scrambled egg.

The vegan ingredients are..

Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cup

Lemon - 1

Water - 2 cups

Olive oil - 1 Tbsp

Carom seeds - 3/4 tsp

Green chili - 1

Onion - 1

Curry leaves - a handful

Salt - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Chicken masala - 1 tsp

Soya sauce - 2 Tbsp

Beans - 100g

Green capsicum - 1

Green peas - 1 cup

Celery - 2 sticks

Soak rice in water for 15 mins. Wash and strain water. Add 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, juice of a lemon and pressure cook the rice. Keep aside.

Heat a saucepan and add oil. Add carom seeds and curry leaves. After a few seconds, add chopped onion and minced chili. Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt, turmeric powder and chicken masala. Add thinly sliced beans, capsicum and thawed peas. Stir for 5 to 8 minutes. Add soya sauce and stir. Add chopped celery stem and leaves, and then cooked rice. Stir to combine.

John Marrs "The Good Samaritan" is a psychological suspense - the latest book on my read list. It's about Laura and Ryan. Laura works at End of Line, which is a helpline for those contemplating their end. But she is psychologically damaged having assisted her father unknowingly when she was young, in killing himself and her two sisters. She grew up in foster homes. All of this we know later towards the end of the book. She has a hidden agenda at work. Those callers whom she is sure is really down in the dumps and wants to commit suicide, she eggs them on. That's what she does to Ryan's pregnant wife who was suffering from prenatal depression. Ryan discovers this after her death. And so goes the story..

To overcome the disillusion of the story, I took some bright flower pictures from our garden. 

And leaving you with a motivational quote..."I get to choose how bad or good my day will be." 

Enjoy your day!