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Tawa Pulao (Indian Fried Rice)

Posted by iavogoodmeal on

Even though we try our best to meal prep, there are some weekends that just get away from us and we need to be creative on weeknights to still be able to eat a nutritious meal! This Indian style fried rice comes together in 20 minutes and is a great way to use up leftover rice.  We used to make this with white rice and actually mix the rice, veggies and seasoning and cook it all together in a pressure cooker. This past year we’ve been slowly switching over to brown rice – with brown rice, its better to cook the rice separately and then add it to the veggies at the end, this avoids getting an overly cooked mess. 

This rice is traditionally served with a raita – yoghurt with shredded cucumber, chopped cilantro and a touch of salt and pepper! We promise this will become a quick favorite for those frantic nights when you still want a good home cooked meal!

Tips & Tricks

  • You know how egg fried rice tastes better when you use day old rice – the same goes for this pulao. If possible, cook the rice the night before
  • We’ve recently been adding our paneer tikka cubes to this dish and it brings a wonderful pop of taste in every bite

Recipe Information

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4 entrée servings 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice 
  • 1.5 cup mixed frozen veggies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeño de-seeded diced
  • 3 tsp garam masala or kitchen king masala
  • Cubed pan fried paneer tikka (optional)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a few tsp of butter add cumin seeds and jalapeños until they start to sizzle
  2. Add in a few tbsp of oil and onions and sauté on medium heat until soft ~5 min
  3. Add mixed veggies, cover and cook on medium heat stirring regularly ~10 min
  4. Clear a hole in the middle of a pan, add 2-3 tsp of oil and add seasonings: garam masala, salt and chili powder
  5. Allow spices to bloom for 1 min and then stir into veggies, continue to cook on medium for another ~5 min
  6. Add in paneer cubes (if using) and stir till combined
  7. Add in cooled rice and stir till combined to cook an additional 5 minutes
  8. Garnish with cilantro and serve with yoghurt / pickle