Chicken & Vegetable Rice

I feel that taking a little break from blogging is exactly like pressing the snooze button on the alarm clock in the mornings :) We've had a hectic two weeks with one thing after the other popping up and the usual dose of cold and cough.I thought I was taking a few days off from blogging and then noticed that I was gone for almost 2 weeks :)

Happy Independence day !! I always admire how fellow bloggers make each occasion special by posting appropriate dishes.Guess I was lucky today,I never actually planned this post but co-incidentally I happened to post a dish that's a little similar to our flag :)Lucky me !!

I'm not a spicy food person,luckily so is hubby.I wonder whether it has something do with the cold climate here,but on most of the days we prefer to eat mildly spiced food loaded with veggies.This is one such thing that I do often.I usually make it when I make chicken soup,it's a nice way to used the cooked chicken .I just save a little of the chicken stock to add flavour to the rice and use the rest to prepare the soup.We love it with just ketchup,but it pairs up well with any spicy gravy.

You'll Need:

Serves 4

Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups

Carrot - 1  (peeled and cut into thin slices)

Potato - 1 small (cut into thin slices)

Capsicum - 1 medium (cut into thin slices)

Broccoli - 15 florets( cut into small florets)

Chicken - 300 g ( Boneless or chicken legs )

Peas - a handful(boiled)

Spring onion - 4 stalks(chopped finely)

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp(optional)

Garlic - 2 -3 cloves(grated)

Pepper Powder - 1 -2 tsp

Olive oil - 2 -3 tbsp

Salt as needed

Method:

-Cook the rice in any method you wish,just make sure that they are well cooked but not mushy,with each grain holding its shape.I usually boil water with some salt and oil ,add the rice and let it cook.Once it's done I drain the rice in a big colander and then  keep it under the tap and let cold water run over the rice for a few minutes.Then I wait until the water drains out completely.This makes sure that the rice grains don't stick to each other. 

-If using Boneless Chicken - Cut the chicken into small bite size pieces.

  If using Chicken with Bone - Boil or Pressure cook the chicken with 1/4 cup of water and a little salt.Separate the stock and the chicken.You can use the stock for boiling the rice or preparing soup or to cook the vegetables.Remove the flesh from the bones and cut it into small pieces.If using  chicken bones the flesh usually falls apart from the bones when cooked well.

-Add the oil to a big pan,add the grated garlic and stir for a  minute.Add the chicken and a little salt and sauté until it's half done.(If using cooked chicken just sauté for a 3 -4 minutes).Then add the potatoes and sauté until the chicken and potatoes are done.Then add all the vegetables(keep a little of the green portion of the green onion for garnishing) and salt as needed and mix well.If using soya sauce add it and mix well.Sprinkle a little water or the chicken stock and cook for a few minutes covered on a low flame.

-After 3 -4 minutes remove the lid and increase the heat. Sauté again till the vegetables are done.Reduce the flame and add the cooked rice and the pepper powder and slowly mix until the rice is well mixed.Check for salt.Garnish with the chopped green onion. Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a nice day !