Portuguese Fried Rice – Portoville
Rice dishes, when combined with fresh fruit, vegetables, salad and pulses, make for a delicious and healthy lunch. This one is quick to prepare and is especially suitable when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Cut eggplant into cubes and place in cold salted water for about half an hour. Prepare the other vegetables. Grind the spices, except the cumin, in the electric coffee grinder. Heat the ghee in a cast iron pan. Put the cumin in first, then add the remaining spices and the chopped chili and cook with the rice. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Drain the eggplant and put in the pan, sauté for 5 minutes while stirring. Add the rest of the vegetables and the pureed tomatoes and sauté for another 2 minutes. Pour in the hot water, add a pinch of sugar, season with salt, and cook for about 15 minutes until everything is tender.
Suitable for dal dishes with puris, chapatis or papadams, and cucumber raita. Finish with a freshly prepared lassi. Bon appetit!
Ingredients (2 persons)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced red and yellow peppers
- 1/2 cup eggplant (aubergine), diced small
- 1 small zucchini (courgette), diced
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and mashed
- 4 - 5 cups water (hot)
- 2 EL tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed)
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 small chili, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 3 pinches asafoetida
- 3 pinches ground saffron salt and sugar