VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

This is the first time I prepared fried rice with brown rice and it did turn out very good. The carbohydrate value of brown rice is the same as white rice but the fiber content is double in brown rice when compared to white rice. Brown rice is also rich in B vitamins since it is unpolished. These days we try to include brown rice in our meals regularly. For those who are not so much into brown rice you can try it in pongal or bisebelbath and varieties like that where the rice is all mashed up. For this fried rice, I have also included some tofu to include some protein in the dish. Some scrambled eggs and chicken pieces can also be added here. A good idea to use up all the veggies for cleaning the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS
1. Brown rice, 1 cup.
2. Red onion- 1.
3. Mixed vegetables like bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, beans, baby corn all chopped into long thin strips, about 1 to 1-1/2 cup.
4. Fresh or frozen peas and lima beans, 1/4th cup.
5. Extra-firm tofu, half of a small tub. This gives around 10 small-sized cubes.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Soya sauce, 1 tablespoon.
8. Chili sauce, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Tomato sauce or ketchup, ¼ teaspoon (optional).
10. Salt and pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION
Cook the rice and let it cool. Fluff the grains with a fork once cooled. Cut the onions into long thin strips. Cut the tofu into small bite size pieces and then add the pieces to a pan sprayed with oil. Let them brown on one side (this takes up to 7-10 minutes on each side) and flip them over to brown on the other side. The tofu pieces will usually shrink nearly half of their original size when browned this way. Remove the tofu to a plate and add some oil to the same pan. Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté them for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste now and sauté for a few more minutes. Then add the chopped vegetables, peas, and lima beans and keep sautéing them for a few minutes under high heat. The vegetables should be cooked just a little bit and still be crunchy. Add the sauces, salt, and pepper and mix everything well. Add the tofu pieces now and mix well. Lower the heat and add the cooked rice and keep mixing under low flame for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.