Yellow Peas/Matar and Carrots Fried Rice

This fried rice is quick fix recipe when we have some left-over rice from our afternoon meal. I had soaked some yellow peas to make Ghughni  few days back. About a cup of them were still left unused in refridgerator.And it just came to my mind all of a sudden to make this quick-fix stir/fry rice for dinner that day.
Most of the time I like to add onions, bit of ginger juliennes and whole black pepper for stir/fried rice or whatever I have in my pantry for that matter. This recipe is very flexible and saves your effort in kitchen.

As I type this recipe, I am trying to figure out a life of a busy college going student living far off from her/his home...may be across seven seas where he/she has not the comfort of a home or may be a cook and the budget is always on a check.Living or surviving on take-aways, instant noodles and sandwhiches is not healthy and most importantly every time you end up spending more with each transactions.This stir/fry rice with vegetbales saves your day..Adds a healthy touch to your daily meal.
Imagine after a hard day at office, even at your college, even running around for your family members, I am sure you don’t have that much energy left to assemble a nice full course meal. I would say make rice ahead in the morning , let it cool a little bit while you prepare yourself with all other activities to start your day, and then before leaving out for your work ,refrigerate the cooled cooked rice.And don’t tell me you have less time for that..One whistle in a pressure cooker and you are done with cooking Basmati rice.If you have M/W then microwave high for 7-8 mints.

Coming back home from your office or college, you can pick some shredded carrots/cabbage/capsicum/peas from nearby supermarket or any grocery store selling vegetables. Or even if you have a grater, use that while you brew your evening tea/coffee. In the meantime, chop some onions and ginger or may be even tomatoes while you sip your evening tea or coffee and then put up a light hearted old Hindi Movie song for a change , heat up a saucepan, add oil, toss all the vegetables, season it and then add the cooked rice which you made earlier in the morning. And here you are ready with a one –pot meal. Add some store bought meat balls for a nice non-vegetarian turn or some paneer cubes for a vegetarian twist. Do you need any more inspiration to cook for yourself?

Below pictures are all night-shots with less light, so kindly ignore the glaze and shine.

Yellow peas and carrot fried rice
Recipe requirements
1 cup of soaked yellow peas
3-4 cups of cooked rice
½ cup of grated carrot
1 onion chopped roughly
About 10-12 whole black pepper
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
3-4 dry red peppers
2-3 tbs of cooking oil
Method

• Soak about 1 cup of yellow peas overnight.
• Alternately if you want a quick way, soak them in hot water for about 4-5 hrs.
• Obviously you should be ready with cooked rice, better if it’s refrigerated. As refrigerated cooked rice is best for fried rice preparation.
• Now heat up a wok/saucepan. Add oil; temper it with cloves, cardamom, and dry red pepper.Add chopped onion.
• Now add yellow peas, grated carrots. I have used thick grated carrots for the stir/fry as thin grated carrots tend to end up being soggy and squashy.
• Now keep on frying for at medium high flame for 3-4 mints. Cover it and cook till yellow peas get partly cooked.
• Now add the seasonings-salt, cumin powder, red pepper powder.
• Add the cooked rice. Mix very well.
• Serve warm as side dish or main course.

And in case you have time on your hand especially on weekend these gravy recipes goes exceptionally well this stir/fry rice. Imagine you have friends over your place and you want to wow them with your culinary skills then just go for it guys...what are you waiting for………..

Gravy recipes that can be paired with this fried rice.

1. मटर पनीर - Matar Paneer /Chanar Dalna

2. पनीर शाही कोरमा -Paneer Shahi Korma

3. कोशा मान्ग्शो -Kosha Mangsho - Bengali Mutton Curry

4. Hassle  फ्री चिक्केन कर्री -Hassle Free Chicken Curry

5. दोई माछ -Doi Mach- Fish with yogurt

6. रुई माछेर दो प्यान्ज़ा -Fish Do Pyanza

Happy Cooking Friends