Vegetable biryani

This is a beautiful spice flavoured rice dish.

Ingredients
1 cup long grain rice, washed in a sieve
1 ½ cups water
½ cups peas
½ cup carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon biryani masala spice mixture
Garnish: 2 tablespoons cashew nuts and 2 tablespoons sultanas

Directions
1. Heat ghee in a saucepan, fry onion, add rice and spice. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
2. Add carrot, peas and water. Stir until boiling.
3. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes with lid on saucepan
4. Serve rice and garnish

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 9g

Saffron Risotto

This flavoured rice is a meal in itself or a stylish accompaniment for a plain curry.

Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
1 ¼ cups rice, long grain
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt and pepper mixed
1 teaspoon saffron strands
1 cup chicken stock, hot
1 cup sultanas, optional

Directions
1. Heat oil and fry onion, stir in rice and cook 5 minutes
2. Add wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
3. Bring mixture to the boil, pour into an overproof dish, cover and cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees C.
4. Add hot stock to rice, stir, replace lid and cook 10 minutes
5. Crush saffron strands, add 1 tablespoon hot water to dissolve saffron.
6. Stir in saffron mixture and optional sultanas. Serve.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 6g

Spicy rice salad

Any vegetable can be substituted for 1 cup chopped celery.

Ingredients
2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 tablespoons tomato chutney
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup apple, chopped
1 cup green capsicum, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients
2. Serve cold or warm

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 1g

Hunza Pie

There is no pastry in this recipe and this gives a lower fat reading. The brown rice is a high fibre rice. Frozen spinach can be used if fresh is unavailable.

Ingredients
2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 cups spinach, washed 3 times
1 cup carrot, chopped

Sauce
1 ½ cups low fat milk
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon dill

Directions
1. Layer the rice and vegetables in a shallow casserole
2. Combine sauce ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer 2 minutes
3. Pour sauce over layered rice.
4. Bake at 200 degrees C for 25 minutes.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 4g

Rice, raisins and cashews

This dish is at its best when served accompanied by green peas.

Ingredients
3 cups brown rice, cooked
2 cups cabbage, shredded
2 onions, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons cashew nuts
Garnish: ½ cup low fat yoghurt and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients. Place in ovenproof dish and heat through.
2. Garnish each serve with a dollop of yoghurt and parsley.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 6 g

Chicken Rice

This is a casserole meal. Correct dryness by adding extra tomato juice.

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts or thighs
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cups carrot, circles
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
¾ cup rice, uncooked

Directions
1. Remove fat and skin from chicken. Place pieces in ovenproof dish.
2. Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken.
3. Cover and bake 45 minutes.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 4g

Aromatic Rice

This dish has a garam masala flavour. 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons of commercial garam masala is equivalent to the spices used in this recipe.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups long grain rice
2 teaspoons ghee or oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
6 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon, 2.5 cm piece
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods

Directions
1. Wash rice in a sieve and stand sieve in water for 15 minutes to allow rice to absorb some water.
2. Heat ghee and fry off spices. Add drained rice and cover with water.
3. Cook rice in saucepan with lid on for 20 minutes until rice is soft and water absorbed.
4. Serve.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 2g

Rice – Stuffed cabbage leaves

The egg can be exchanged for 60 g chopped ham or ricotta cheese.

Ingredients
8 cabbage leaves
2 teaspoons oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 egg, hardboiled, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup tomato soup
2 cups rice, cooked

Directions
1. Place cabbage leaves in boiling water and cook 1 minute to soften. Remove from water and drain.
2. Heat oil, fry onion and mushrooms.
3. Add egg, spices and rice
4. Spoon stuffing mixture into cabbage leaves, fold in the sides and roll up the leaf.
5. Place rolled cabbage parcels in a shallow casserole dish.
6. Mix stock and tomato soup and pour over cabbage parcels.
7. Cover casserole and bake at 185 degrees C for 25 minutes.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 5g

Garlic Rice

This is a basic savoury dish to be served with fish, red meat or chicken. Try adding ½ cup cooked wild rice for colour, flavour and texture.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups rice, cooked
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Heat through

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 0g

Speckled Rice

This is a low fat version of fried rice. The meats can be substituted for 1 cup pink salmon or tuna.

Ingredients
2 cups rice, cooked
½ cup cooked meat, diced
½ cup ham, diced
½ cup green peas, cooked
½ cup bean shoots
1 egg, beaten
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon oil

Directions
1. Heat pan and fry garlic in oil.
2. Pour beaten egg over garlic and make a pancake. Cool and slice into thin strips.
3. Combine all ingredients and microwave to heat through.

Serves 4
Fat per serve: 6g