Not everyone enjoys reheating and eating leftover food in its natural form. The good news is that some of the meals may be given a new lease of life and made more exciting than their prior version. One of them is rice. Rice leftovers are typical in every household. Instead of tossing it out or eating it half-heartedly with dal, you may turn it into some fascinating meals.
Combine it with your favourite veggies and spices to make fried rice, convert it into a sweet treat like kheer, add some chicken to make a nutritious soup, or make some cutlets to go with your evening tea; the possibilities are unlimited.
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Meanwhile, Pritika Bedi, Founder of HealthSake, offers five recipes for using up leftover rice.
Mushroom Fried Rice
Ingredients
1 cup of leftover rice
150 grams white button mushrooms – rinsed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 2 small to medium garlic cloves
1/2 cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium-sized or 2 to 3 small to medium spring onions
1/2 tablespoon chopped celery
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt as required
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Instructions
1. In a kadhai, heat the oil. Stir in the garlic and onions for 2 minutes on medium to high heat, stirring often.
2. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes on high heat, or until the mushrooms are gently browned around the edges.
3. The combination will quickly turn watery as the mushrooms release water, and as the water evaporates, the oil will become visible.
4. When the mushrooms begin to turn a light golden colour, add the celery and stir fry for a minute.
5. Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
6. Add the rice and stir to combine. Stir-fry for around 2-3 minutes.
7. Garnish the mushroom fried rice with celery or spring onions and serve hot.
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Rice Kheer
Ingredients
Leftover cooked rice – 1 cup
Jaggery – 1/4 cup
Milk – 2 cups
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Chopped nuts – 3 tbsp (almond, cashews, pistachios)
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Instructions
1. In a pan, combine the remaining cooked rice, jaggery, and milk. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15-20 minutes on low to medium heat.
2. When the kheer appears to be simmering, add the cardamom powder and nuts. Combine thoroughly.
3. Simmer for 2 minutes before turning off the heat. After an hour of chilling, serve the kheer cool.
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Rice Cutlets
Ingredients
1 cup leftover rice
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 green chilli chopped
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
3 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
Salt as required
3 tablespoons oil for shallow frying
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Instructions
1. Combine all of the ingredients, except the oil, in a mixing bowl.
2. Combine well. Taste and adjust with extra spice powders or salt if necessary.
3. Combine everything thoroughly. When you combine, the rice will get mashed.
4. Form the ingredients into small to medium tikkis.
Rice Cutlet Sautéing
1. In a frying pan or tawa, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Maintain a medium-low to medium-high heat.
2. When the oil has reached a medium temperature, lay the rice cutlets on the tawa.
3. When the bottom is gently browned, turn with a spatula and sauté the other side.
4. Flip again and cook until crisp and brown. You’ll need to rotate them a number of times to ensure equal cooking.
5. When they are crisp and golden, remove them and set them on a kitchen paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
6. Serve hot rice cutlets with coriander or mint chutney.
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Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
0.5 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion finely diced
1/2 cup carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
1/4 cup celery sliced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup cooked chicken shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups chicken broth
0.5 cup cooked rice
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Instructions
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion, carrots, and celery are softened.
2. Cook for 30 seconds after adding the garlic to the saucepan.
3. Combine the chicken, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a mixing bowl. Bring to a boil.
4. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
5. Add the rice and mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve hot.
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Rice Salad
Ingredients
1 cup of leftover rice
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 carrot, grated
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1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seed or sunflower seeds
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
Instructions
Fill a bowl with the remaining rice. Combine the red pepper, cucumber, shredded carrot, and roasted pumpkin seeds in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
