I’m a rice lover! I love rice in almost every form, and I have rice at least once a day. Especially in South India, rice is as important to us as pasta is to Italians. And, people usually prefer white rice over brown rice. But white rice is not a healthy alternative, even though it looks good, and tastes better than brown rice, it’s just simply, refined brown rice. The only difference between the two is that the brown rice still has the bran and the side hulls, which makes it whole grain. It contains all the good stuff like protein, fiber, calcium, potassium, thiamine, magnesium etc. White rice is refined, so it doesn’t have all the nutrients in it like brown rice. Plus, its low-glycemic rating reduces insulin spikes, and so it’s great for diabetes, and for people trying to lose weight-added bonus!
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat white rice at all. It’s all in the amount of rice you take. Both my father, and my mother in law, are diabetics, and they love white rice. So, they just eat smaller amounts of white rice, along with other nutritious foods like sautéed vegetables. And they are very much healthy. Touchwood! *touches and knocks on wood*…don’t ask me why I do both…I’m a little too superstitious..
Anyway, this is ‘brown rice fried rice’. Brown rice cooked in chicken stock and sautéed with vegetables and garlic. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is both healthy, and delicious!
Fried Brown Rice
Ingredients
- Finely chopped carrots-3/4 cup
- Chopped capsicum/green bell pepper-3/4 cup
- Chopped or minced garlic-1 teaspoon
- Chopped Spring onions/Scallions-1 cup
- Soy sauce-2 tablespoons
- Brown rice-2 cups
- Low-sodium chicken stock/Vegetable stock-2 cups
- Water-1 cup
- Light olive oil/Canola oil/Rice bran oil-2 teaspoons
Instructions
- Start by heating the low-sodium chicken stock/vegetable stock (if you’re a vegetarian), in a medium sauce-pan, and add the rice. Cover and cook until the rice is tender. Add the water to the rice, if the rice is not cooked enough. Heat a pan in a medium-heat, and add the oil. Add the garlic, sauté for a minute, and add the chopped carrots, bell peppers, and spring onions…
- Now add soy sauce to the pan, and let the vegetables cook in the soy sauce in a low flame…
- Next, toss the cooked rice into the pan, and stir it all around, so that everything is combined well…
- Transfer to serving dish, and enjoy!
