Category : Kids specials, Carrot, Rice
Time Taken : 15-30 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup - mixed rice blend (it has white, brown, wild and red rice)
1 - small acorn squash (prepared and baked – see for a step by step pictorial)
1 tsp - fennel seeds
1 tsp - cumin seeds
1 - large onion,chopped
2 to 3 - scallions, white and green chopped
1 to 2 cloves - garlic, minced
1 cup - white and orange carrots, chopped into small pieces (or you can use only orange carrots)
1 - celery with greens, chopped
1/2 cup - frozen green peas ( if using fresh, steam it for few minutes until soft)
a few sprigs of sage
a few sprigs of cilantro/parsley
a few toasted sliced almonds (or you can use toasted acorn squash seeds too)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
1.Cook the rice as per instructions given in your packet.
2.Bake the acorn squash in the method shown here in this post.
3.While they both are cooking, you can alternatively start the other cooking process.
4.Toast the almonds/seeds in a pan for few minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
5.In the same pan, heat 1/4 tsp of oil.
6.Add the cumin and fennel seeds to it. Instead of fennel seeds – you can use vegetable fennel instead.
7.Once the seeds start getting aromatic, add the onions, scallion whites and garlic.
8.Sprinkle a little salt to sweat out the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft.
9.Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
10.Remove the pulp from the acorn squash as shown in this post, making sure to leave some in the shell themselves and add it to the onion mixture.
11.Toss it until well blended with other vegetables.
12.Now add the cooked rice and frozen peas along with scallion greens.
13.Add more seasoning if needed and cook for 1-2 minutes for all the ingredients to come together.
14.Finish off with plenty of herbs.
15.Take the Acorn shell, spoon some of the rice mixture into it and garnish with nuts and some herbs. Serve warm.
