Egyptian Chicken Rice

"Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook."

A few weeks back while I was browsing through the library (my favourite place), when I accidentally hit upon an interesting book on rice lying on the 'return' rack. Just wanted to share a little of what I read.

In the past Africans were considered to be intellectually incapable of domesticating rice and technologically unable to develop its complicated irrigation system. Instead, scholars contended that the Portuguese introduced the crop from Asia as well as the irrigation techniques needed for growing it.
However botanical and historical evidence (some dating back to 1068),demonstrate that Africans in Upper Guinea developed "an elaborate food production system that displayed acute knowledge of landscape gradient, soil principles, moisture regimes, farming by submersion, hydrology, and tidal dynamics, and the mechanisms to impound water and to control its flow" long before European contact. This knowledge enabled Africans to produce rice in three distinct ecosystems. The upland or rain-fed system was reliant on precipitation; the inland swamp system was dependent on high groundwater levels. The tidal floodplain method entailed situating rice fields on tidal waterways, which could require the construction of sizable levees and extensive and elaborate irrigation systems.

It is such a wonder that what was considered true yesterday becomes false today. We are continuously evolving...re-discovering,breaking myths...and even sometimes creating new ones ...I love being alive!! I love this Earth and all she houses.

Inspired by this, I decided to make a dish from the continent of Africa; and what better way than to use rice in my dish. Rice with a little of past English influence on the continent(and a little of my influence too) !



Egyptian Chicken Rice

Ingredients-
1 cup ground beef ( I skipped this, as I do not eat beef)
1 cup diced chicken fillets( I used chopped chicken sausages instead)
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 jar finely sliced mushrooms (any)
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp dried ginger powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli-garlic paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup raw rice
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste


Method-
In a deep pan, heat oil. Add the cumin seeds.
Once they splutter,add the onions.
Once the onions sweat, add the tomato paste, red chilli-garlic paste, ginger powder, bell-pepper,mushrooms, and chicken (and beef, if using). Saute for a minute.
Add the soy and worcestershire sauce. Add the raw rice and mix well. Add the salt and water.
Seal with the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes, till chicken/beef is tender and rice is cooked.

Serve with slivered almonds and sour cream/yougurt (if desired).

I share this with Trupti of Recipe Center for her Winter Treat Events.

Do not Spook unless you are Spooken to!!

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, Voices whisper in the trees,
"Tonight is Halloween!"

Asia is fast catching up with the idea of Halloween. Here in Hong Kong, its a BIG event. The streets are all lit up with bright pumpkin lights and there is a costume parade at Lan Kwai Fong (the hang out of the party people). FYI...We had gone there last week. Its total fun!

I am a firm believer of having fun....any rhyme or reason will do. Sometimes even thats not required. lol. I don't have kids of my own as of now but no worries as I make do with my darling husband...he's my child. lol... So I decided to make a spooky lunch for him. Generally spooky sweets are made at this festival of "trick or treat"...but we were in no mood of sweets especially after the recent Diwali overdose; so I put the destructive devil in me to make my otherwise 'good' lunch...'bad' (wicked grin).

Lo and behold, the Spooky Spider lunch is ready. The bloody eyes take their color from the cherry tomatoes. The skinny spidy legs are crunchy edible pretz. The rest of the spidy body is yummylicious peas and sausage fried rice.
In true Halloween spirit we ate like a monster!!
Heres' the trick/treat for you--

Spidy Peas and Sausage Fried Rice

Ingredients-

two cups of cooked rice (3/4th cooked)

3 large chicken sausages chopped

3 stalks of spring onion

half cup green peas

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp tobasco hot pepper sauce (mild or hot depending on taste)

2 tsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

a dash of cumin powder

a pinch of sugar

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Method-

In a wok, heat oil. Saute the onions and sausages. Add the ginger ,garlic. Stir. Now add the soy sauce, tobasco and ketchup. Stir again. Add the peas and the sugar. Add the cooked rice. Sprinkle salt to taste. Add a dash of ground cumin powder. Mix well. Cover and simmer for a minute. Serve hot.

Tip: Its important that the rice be partly cooked or else while mixing the rice grains may break because of over cooking.