Tomato Rice

3Jul2017

Cooked tomatoe rice for last Saturday parents group gathering. This was one of the rice which I like to cook when the children were younger. Rice very fragrance and nice. Goes well with baked or grilled chicken or chicken curry.

There are few ways of cooking this rice. The most simple way is throw all ingredients into rice cooker and switch on electricity  and set to "cook" mode and rice will be ready in 20mins depending on the type of rice cooker you use. This method is easy if you do not wish to do clean up at all. So dump all ingredients into cooker and you will have tomato rice to eat.

Another way is you cook them in a frying pan or sauteing the rice in a skillet pan over fire just like how you would cook paella. 

One other way is what I did as in the method mentioned in this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati rice or any type of white rice

Approx. 350mil chicken stock*

2 big red ripe tomatoes - chopped*

5 or 6 cherry tomatoes - halfed

1 big red onion - chopped

5 cloves of glarics -minced

2 small onions - minced

1/2 thumb size ginger - minced

1 baf leave

3 cloves

3 cardamons

1 cinnamon stick (5cm length)

1 pandan leaf

1 tsp sea salt or to taste

A dash of white pepper

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup frozen green pea - must defrost

Method:

1. Wash rice and drained and set aside.

2. Put oil in wok, fry big and small chopped onion, minced garlic and minced ginger until it is fragrance a light brown. Add bay leaf, cloves, cardamons and cinnamon stick, stir and fry for few seconds.

3. Add tomotoes and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to boil. Add rice, salt and pepper and bring it to boil. Off fire and transfer rice mixture into rice cooker.

4. Add pandan leaf into the mixture. Cook rice in rice cooker that is "cook" mode setting. When the liquid is almost drying up, add green pea and let the rice continue to cook until rice cooker auto switch to "keep warm"

5. Switch electricity and remove pandan leaf from rice. Use a pair of chopstick and loose the rice. Serve it hot.

You may serve it with baked chicken thighs. A good combination. 

*Note: Tomatoes produces liquid or rather the liquid in tomatoes will affect the end result of rice that will turn out. To prevent rice too soggy or uncooked. I like to measure the liquid and tomato combination with a measuring cup. I put chopped tomatoes into the cup for measuring rice and then pour in the chicken stock. That is equavilent to 3 rice cups of chopped tomatoes + chicken stock to 2 cups of basmati rice.

Rice "Pizza"

1st Mar 2017

I used to make this for lunch few years ago. Was browsing you tube cooking channel and happened to see this chef using rice cake(he used Japanese rice cake) to make pizza. Back then I was "inspired" to make gluten meal for a family member who has to off gluten for short period of time. While searching what to cook, I saw this  video. Anyway, I did not managed to cook for him as he has resumed to gluten meal. Haha. However, I cooked that for myself instead. Because I was curious how it taste? 

I tried cooking  with china made dried rice cake. I have also tried homemade that using glutinous rice flour add with water and made into a dough. And also tried with Korean rice cake. Didn't try Japanese rice cake as it is very costly.  

Of all that I had tried, the Korean rice cake texture is the best in my opinion. I like chewy texture. China made rice cake is not too bad, the only thing is need to soak in water for few hours before use. Otherwise it will be too hard to even bite. Homemade is good but I couldn't achieve the chewy texture like the korean rice cake. One good thing if use glutinous rice flour, you can have it anytime. The frozen korean rice cake which I bought here has only few months shelf life. Usually I do not stock them up. I will only buy when I need it. Whereas, I always have glutinous flour in my kitchen😊

As usual, I do not follow through a recipe. I did quite a fair bit of changes in term of method and ingredients. 

Ingredients:

1 cup or a small bowl of frozen korean rice cake

1/4 cup cooked meat. Your choice of meat. I use leftover matmite pork

3-4 pork meat balls (optional)

2 tablespoon tomatoes paste (ready sauce for spaghetti)

2 tablespoon mozzeralla cheese

Method:

1.Wash some of ready korean rice cake.

2.Put them into a bowl or plate which can withstand oven temperature 250°c

3. Add  cooked meat. 

4. Spread 1-2 tablespoon tomatoes paste. Those paste for pizza or spaghetti.

5. Sprinkle about 1-2 tablespoon mozzeralla cheese. 

6. Put into oven toaster(if u have) or traditional oven(preheat 200°c) and bake for about 10min or when the cheese turn light brown. 

Serve hot.