Tricolor Rice (Indian name – Triranga Pulao)
Submitted by Hiral Mehta
About the cook: Hi, I am homemaker and love cooking. I'm an Indian vegetarian cook and what inspired me to cook is so few options to eat out in Denver where I live. So I started developing these skills myself. It's just me and my spouse, no kids yet. My husband is a big foodie and that's also an inspiration for me to cook.
About the dish: A rice dish handed down to me by my mother. This dish can be enjoyed in all seasons. It's beautifully colored and has a variety of flavors and nutrients.
National Origin: Indian
Serves: 4
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 Hours
Ingredients:
2 cups - Royal Basmati / long grained rice
1 cup chopped - Spinach and cilantro mixed
1/2 cup medium diced - tomato
1/2 cup medium diced - carrots
2-3 saffron strands
3 tablespoon - sour cream
1/4 cup - small chopped cilantro
5-6 bread slices of your choice - Multigrain/white/wheat etc
1/4 cup - chopped onion and garlic mixed
1 slice - thin sliced lemon
10-12 long thin slices - green and orange bell peppers
Salt - as per taste
2 table spoon - butter
Spices 1 teaspoon for green gravy- Pepper, Cumin, powdered cardamom, coriander powder
Spices 1 teaspoon for Orange gravy - cayenne pepper and turmeric
Preparation:
1. Wash rice thoroughly and cook rice 95%. This is our main ingredient so do not over cook it till it becomes soggy. For best results just boil it in 2.5 cups water and add 1 table spoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt so it doesn’t get sticky. (Optional : You can add 1 clove and 1 small cinnamon stick if you like its flavor or you can skip it. I did not use it personally so haven’t added them in the ingredients above.)
2. Divide cooked rice in 3 equal parts. And now its time to flavor it.
3. Green section of rice – Make puree of spinach and cilantro mix. Heat non stick pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, add cumin, add chopped onion and garlic and saute until the onions become translucent. Add all spices for green gravy and spinach/cilantro puree and let it cook for 2 mins. Let it cool down to room temperature and add rice to it and mix it. Green rice is ready.
4. Orange section of rice – Make puree of tomato / carrots. Heat non stick pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add all spices for orange gravy and tomato/carrot puree and let it cook for 2 mins. Let it cool down to room temperature and add rice to it and mix it. Orange rice is ready.
5. Take shallow bowl and brush it with butter a little bit. Place orange rice first in the bowl, add white rice and add green rice. Tap each layer with a spoon and carefully flip bowl on a serving plate. Tricolor tower is ready! 🙂
6. Take bread slices and toast it. Make three equal layers with cilantro, sour cream and bell pepper.
Serve it for holiday lunch or dinner with a smile and I’m sure your family and friends are going to love it.