CARROT RICE / HOW TO MAKE CARROT RICE - QUICK LUNCH / DINNER IDEAS

We moms feel happy when kids are happy with their lunch box meal.  Kids love attractive and colorful meals. Here is a quick flavorful and healthy rice recipe for kids lunch box. Carrot rice is a wholesome one pot meal  to  pack in lunch box for both adults and kids which is both tasty and healthy. More over it is the best rice recipe for our busy days and can make it for lunch or dinner. Here is the recipe showing how to make carrot rice / easy lunch box recipes.

INGREDIENTS

Basmati rice (long grain rice)         - 1 cup
Carrot                                              - 2 nos, grated or chopped finely
Cumin seed                                      - half tsp
Ginger garlic paste                           - 1 tbsp
Onion                                                - 1 , small, sliced
Green chilly                                       - 1 
Garam masala powder                       - half a tsp
Pepper powder                                   - half a tsp
Lemon juice                                       - few drops
Salt
Ghee / butter
Oil 

PREPARATION

• Wash and soak rice for few minutes and then drain it.
• Boil 2 cups of water with salt and when done add the rice to it. You can add few drops of oil to the boiled water to prevent the stickiness of rice. Cook until 95 % done and drain the water. 
• Spread the rice in a wide opened bowl by adding few tsp of ghee or unsalted butter. This also helps to get rid of sticky rice.
• It is best to prepare such rice dishes with left over cooked  rice. I always take more amount of rice whenever i prepare ghee rice and keep the leftover cooked rice in fridge for my kids and hubbys tiffin meals like carrot rice, fried rice, capsicum rice, lemon rice, mushroom rice, pulav and so on.
• Now heat a nonstick wok with some oil and when hot splutter cumin seed. Then saute onion until transparent and then add green chilly, ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes off. Then add garam masala powder along with some salt. 
• Now add grated carrot and stir on a high flame for a minute.
• Then simmer the flame and add pepper powder , lemon juice and give a fine mix.
• Now heat a pan with some butter / ghee and toss the cooked rice for few minutes.
• When done add the rice to the sauteed mixture and gently mix well.
• Serve hot with raita or pickle.
• Delicious healthy carrot rice ready.