Carrot Rice/Carrot Sadham

My previous week was mostly occupied by weddings, guests and childrens’ exams.Surprisingly I found myself spending most of the time in kitchen coming out with lots of food, but less time to browse or blog.And eventually the shorter free-times were utilised to relax or indulge in a tiring nap…

Carrot rice, a much relied on choice in such lazy moods, a nutritious, yet an easy to prepare rice delicacy, is neverthlessly my family’s all time favourite.This particular rice variety does demand a little too much of oil for a richer taste and quality…still..considering the diet consciousness, kindly use the lightest refined oil of your choice, but let it be used a little liberally.

Serves-4,Cooking time-50 minutes.

Ingredients:

400gms/2 cups of Long Grain varietied rice.(I used a year old ponni raw rice.)
A tbsp of fresh ghee or refined oil(to mix with the cooked rice.)
A Cup of freshly grated Carrots
A Cup of Big Onions sliced lengthwise
½ cup of Refined Oil
½ tsp of Mustards
¾ tsp of Urad dal
½ tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt-to taste
A stalk of Curry leaves

To powder,

½ Cup of Coriander seeds/Kotha malli
½ Cup of Bengal gram dal/Kadalai paruppu
12-15 no:s of Red Chillies or adjust the number as needed

Method:

1. Powder the last three listed ingredients in a mixie,raw.

2. Cook rice in salted water or according to the method you prefer.Let the grains be cooked but separate and not sticky.

3. Drain the cooked rice.Transfer rice to a broad flat plate or a wide, shallow container.Cool down to warmth.Add the 2 tbsp ghee or oil and mix gently with the flat end of a ladle or spatula, breaking any lumps during the process.Add salt if you have not added earlier while the rice was cooking.

4. Heat a large broad wok.Add ½ cup oil, splutter the mustards and brown the urad dal.Sauté the onions till translucent, followed by the carrots and the curry leaves.Fry them altogether in a medium flame for a minute. The onions would have acquired a golden brown colour and the carrots, just cooked by now. At this stage the level of the oil should be slightly above the sautéd ingredients.

5. Add 7-8 tsps of the previously prepared powder (Adjust the amt according to suit your taste.Reserve the excess powder for future use..),along with the turmeric powder.Saute for a few more seconds in low flame,just to get rid if the raw flavour of the powders.Turn off the flame, add a little salt, mix well again and transfer this into the cooked rice bowl.

6. Gently blend the ingredients well with the rice with a ladle or using fingers until the grains are coated uniformly.

7. Heat the required quantity of carrot rice in the same wok, used for frying, and serve hot with onion or cucumber raitha.