Jeera Rice with Rajma (Brown Rice Quinoa Lunch combo)

Jeera rice or Cumin rice is a comfort food of North Indians.  I have created a low Glycemic Index version of this popular cumin rice. 

Click to see this in my youtube channel:

Rajma masala with Brown rice quinoa Jeera rice

Rajma masala with Jeera rice

Cumin rice

Rajma masala

                                Jeera Rice 

Ingredients:

Brown rice - 1 cup

Quinoa - 1/2 cup

water = (number of cups of rice, quinoa )x 2 - 1/2

water - 2 1/2 cups

salt - 1/4 tsp

ghee - 1 tsp

cumin - 1 tsp

cloves - 5

cardamom - 5

Bay leaf - 1

Method:

Put together brown rice and quinoa.

Rinse well. Soak for 10 mins - 30 mins.

Heat a pressure cooker (pls see my video).

Add 1 tsp ghee.

Add  cumin, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf. 

Let cumin gets crispy.

Add soaked water from rice, quinoa.

Add salt. Let it come to a boil.

Put the rice+quinoa.

Put on the lid, pressure valve of pressure cooker.

Bring to 1 whistle.

Reduce heat and cook for 5 mins.

Switch off.

Open after safety valve settles down.

Transfer it to a serving bowl and enjoy with Rajma masala or any side dish.

                             Rajma Masala 

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1 cup

Salt - 1 tsp (to taste)

Onion - 1 

Tomato - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tbsp

Peanut oil - 2 Tbsp

fennel - 1 tsp

cumin - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder - 2 tsp

garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaf) - 1 tbsp

Method:

Rinse Rajma and soak it overnight (8-12 hours).

Pressure cook Rajma with water just enough to cover + 1 inch above the Rajma.

Bring to 1 whistle. Reduce heat and cook for 10 mins.

Heat oil in a vessel.

Add fennel, cumin.

Once it gets red, add minced onion.

Fry till mild golden color.

Then add chopped tomato, 1 tsp salt.

Cook till oil separates.

Add all masala powders.

Fry few minutes.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

Then add the cooked rajma and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Switch off.

Sprinkle kasoori methi.

Rajma masala is ready !

Serving suggestions:

Makes a nutritious lunch / dinner for 3 people.

Rajma masala would be enough for 6 servings.

Time taken :

Cooking time - 1 hour

Rajma soaking time 8-12 hours

Quinoa upma

Quinoa is another good grain I started cooking in recent years. Generally quinoa can be made into a salad. It blends with many Indian recipes easily and here is my Uppuma (upma or kichidi) with Quinoa. Quinoa comes in a rainbow of colors, I picked up this red quinoa as it looked more pretty in that aisle:) Other than that all tastes almost the same. But red quinoa has more crunchy texture. We can use any variety for this upma recipe.

Quinoa upma with vegetables

Ingredients: (for 2 adults)
Quinoa - 1/2 cup
water - 1 1/2 cup
Tempering:
olive oil - 1 1/2  tbsp
channa dal - 1 tbsp
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
onion - 2 tbsp 
green chilly - 2
ginger - small piece (1/2 inch)
curry leaf - few
cilantro - few
salt - to taste
carrot - 1
green peas - handful
  
Method: 
Wash the quinoa thrice in running water with gentle rubbing with our palm (as per directions). This is done to remove bitterness.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok.
Add mustard seed. let it splutter. Then add the channa dhal. Wait till it gets red. Then add chopped onion, curry leaf, cilantro, ginger, green chilly. As the onion starts to get soft, add chopped carrot, peas and stir for a minute.
Pour water + Salt and let it come to a boil.
Then reduce flame and add quinoa.
Cover tightly with a lid. Reduce flame to minimum.
Cook for 15 minutes or little more to get the quinoa completely cooked.  Then stir well.
Switch off. Quinoa upma is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dinner along with pickle or sugar.