Garlic Rice

                                                                                    

I had loads of  left overs that I intended to serve the other day when I decided to make another fresh dish! I often do that ...sometimes a nice chutney, a quick side dish or even a different sort of chapati...nothing major, just a little add on that brings a newness to the table. Even delicious food can be monotonous to eat a second time but  introduce a fresh item and it makes all the difference!!

I love garlic and in this simple rice dish that I made, it is the highlight.  If you have cooked rice on hand this takes no time at all and is a great addition to any meal.  In this delicious recipe, apart from the garlic, soy sauce provides the rich colour and hint of flavour and spring onion greens add the finishing touch.

Ingredients: 

3 cups rice, cooked and cooled
2 table spoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup spring onion greens, finely chopped
2 tea spoon soy sauce
Salt to taste
2 table spoon oil

Method:   Use cooked and cooled rice for this recipe for best results. Left over rice can be put to good use in this recipe. Or, cook rice beforehand and let it cool.  Crush garlic with the flat part of knife and then finely chop. Wash, drain and finely cut spring onion greens.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add garlic. Once the garlic begins to change colour, add rice, salt and soy sauce. Stir well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes on low heat. Add spring onion greens and mix thoroughly. Cover with a lid and close flame. Keep the pan covered for a while to infuse all the flavours in the rice. Serve hot.

I prefer to use the locally grown garlic which is small in size but has a lot of flavour. You can use any available garlic but be sure to adjust the amount to your taste. If you do not like a strong garlic flavour then use little less garlic. Also, certain varieties make a dish bitter, if used in excess. So keep that in mind. I used a dark soy sauce but, if you are using a mild soy sauce, you may need to add a little more.