Give your leftover rice a makeover with peri peri, lemon and veggies

We all know that fried rice tastes best when cooked with day old rice, however there are plenty of other such rice dishes that taste way better. Check out these three interesting variations of how to stir up some flavour into your plain and boring white rice and give your leftovers a makeover.

When one is living with family, room mates or even alone, it becomes quite confusing and tedious to cook the right amount of food, ensuring that one is not left with any excess of food. While usually eating leftovers isn't a problem in most Indian households, especially since most of us are used to eating the dinner from last night for lunch today, sometimes one does wish to eat something fresh without putting in all the effort of making an entire dish from scratch. And that's when your leftover rice can come to your rescue. We all know that fried rice tastes best when cooked with day old rice, however there are plenty of other such rice dishes that taste way better with day old rice. Check out these three interesting variations of how to stir up some flavour into your plain and boring white rice and give your leftovers a makeover.

Peri peri rice, vegetable fried rice and lemon rice. (Chef Sanjyot Keer)

For peri peri rice

Ingredients:

Oil 1 tbsp

Garlic 1 tbsp

Green chillies 1-2nos. (chopped)

Dry red chillies 2-3 nos. (broken)

Onions 1 medium size (chopped)

Sweet corn ½ cup

Carrots ½ cup (chopped)

Capsicum ½ cup (chopped)

Homemade peri peri spice mix: (mix all the ingredients together)

Red chilli powder 3 tbsp

Black salt 1 tsp

Cinnamon powder 1/4th tsp

Garlic powder 2 tsp

Ginger powder 1/4th tsp

Oregano 1 tsp

Powdered sugar 1 tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Cooked rice 4 cups

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander 1 tbsp (chopped)

Peri peri rice (Chef Sanjyot Keer)

Method:

Set a wok on medium high heat, add oil, garlic, green chillies and dry red chillies, sauté on medium high heat for 30 seconds.

Further add onions, sweet corn, carrots and capsicum, cook on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.

Add cooked rice and 2 tbsp peri peri spice mix, mix well and add salt to taste, finish with some fresh coriander, toss well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Peri peri rice is ready, serve hot.

For Veg fried rice

Ingredients:

Oil 2 tbsp

Spring onion bulbs 1/3rd cup (chopped)

Carrots ½ cup (chopped)

French beans ½ cup (chopped)

Cooked rice 4 cups

Salt & white pepper powder to taste

Spring onion greens 1/4th cup

Light soy sauce 1 tsp

Vinegar 1 tsp

Sugar 1/4th tsp

Aromat powder ½ tsp (optional)

Spring onion greens (for garnish)

Veg fried rice (Chef Sanjyot Keer)

Method:

Heat a wok on high flame, add oil, and heat, further add chopped spring onion bulbs, carrots and french beans, sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Now, add cooked rice, salt & white pepper powder to taste, spring onion greens, light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and aromat powder, mix well but gently without breaking rice, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on high flame, finish it by adding few spring onions greens.

Veg fried rice is ready.

For tadke wale lemon rice:

Ingredients:

Ghee 1 tbsp

Rai (mustard seeds) 1 tsp

Jeera (cumin seeds) 1 tsp

Urad dal 1 tsp

Chana dal 1 tsp

Dry red chilli 3-4 nos. (broken)

Peanuts 1/4th cup

Green chillies 2-3 nos.

Curry leaves 10-12 nos.

Onions ½ cup (sliced)

Pinch of sugar

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Cooked rice 4 cups

Lemon juice 2-3 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander 1 tbsp (chopped)

Lemon Rice (Chef Sanjyot Keer)

Method:

Set a wok on low flame, add ghee, jeera, rai, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chillies, peanuts, green chillies and curry leaves, cook on low flame for 1-2 minutes.

Further add sliced onions & pinch of sugar, cook on medium low flame until the onions are translucent.

Further add turmeric powder and briefly cook for about 10-15 seconds, further add cooked rice, lemon juice, salt to taste and fresh coriander, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium high flame.

Tadke wale lemon rice is ready, serve hot.

(Recipe courtesy Chef Sanjyot Keer)