Healthy Greens Rice

Healthy diet plans always have green leafy vegetables included in it. Its kind of boring to clean and chop etc.. but then its so healthy and worth all the pains taken. :)

When I was a kid, I used to love Popeye the sailor man cartoon series a lot. :) So every time mom cooks greens, she used to tell me that I would becoming strong like Popeye if I eat it and thats it.. I am done with the greens at ones. :)

There are various varieties of greens available in the market and this rice can be made with any of them. Its purely your choice and believe me, it tastes yumm :)

I have used Ponanganni Keerai. The Botanical name of this greens is 'Alternanthera sessilis'. Sanskrit name is Matsyakshi. The common English name is Dwarf copperleaf/ Joyweed/ Sessile joyweed. One side of the greens is purple in color and the other is violet. :)

Ingredients:

Finely chopped Greens - 3 cups(I used ponnanganni keerai. Anyways you can use any greens of your choice)
Rice - 1 cup
Onions - 2
Green chillies - 2
Roasted Peanuts - 1 tbl sp
Lemon - 1 big
Oil - 3 tbl sp

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dhall - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dhall - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - few

For Masala powder:

Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Black gram dhall - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Bengal gram dhall - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 5
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

Cook rice till each grain separates and allow it to cool completely. Cut onions into small pieces. Clean and chop the greens finely and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings one by one. Now add cut green chillies and diced onions and fry for few minutes. Add the chopped greens and continue frying till it shrinks and the raw flavor goes.

Fry the masala ingredients in half tsp of oil and then powder it finely.

Add cooled rice, salt, powdered spices, peanut powder to the cooked greens and mix well in high till everything blends well.

Finally add grated fresh coconut and squeeze lemon and mix well.

Greens rice is ready to eat. Serve it with curd raitha :)

Happy making. :)

Written by: Nithya
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