ifdesired

Tricoloured Spiced Rice (Tirange Chawal) mydiversekitchen.com
For the saffron/ orange coloured rice:
1 cup basmati rice (and 1/2 tsp oil to fry the rice)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp oil
3 big carrots, steam cooked
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp sambhar powder
For the white coloured rice:
1 cup basmati rice (and 1/2 tsp oil to fry the rice)
salt to taste
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly roasted/ toasted
For the green coloured rice:
1 cup basmati rice (and 1/2 tsp oil to fry the rice)
salt to taste
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp freshly scraped coconut
8 to 10 mint leaves
about 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 or 2 green chillies
1 1/2 tsp white poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 tsp garam masala
I cooked my rice in a pressure cooker, one cup of rice in each container, in three separate containers at the same time. You may cook the rice according to your method of preference.
It is better to keep the 3 cups of rice separate while cooking, as it will ensure equal quantities of the different coloured rice varieties.
In a pan, put the 1/2 tsp oil and stir-fry 1 cup of rice on medium heat for about a minute just till the rice starts turning whiter. Take it off the heat and put it into the container in which it is to be cooked.
Repeat this with the other two cups of rice.
Now it is time to cook the rice. You would have three containers with 1 cup stir-fried rice in each.
To the first container, add 2 cups of water and about 1 tsp of salt, or to your taste and stir well. Do the same to the next container of rice.
To the third container, add the salt, cumin seeds, 1 cup of water and the coconut milk and mix well. This will be the white coloured rice. Of course, the cumin seeds will give the rice a slightly off-white tinge.
Place the 3 containers in the pressure cooker and cook till just done. The grains should be whole and separate.
When it is done, take the rice out and spread the each container of rice on a separate plate. Use a fork to fluff up the rice a bit, to ensure that the grains separate without breaking. Allow the rice to cool a bit. If the rice cools completely, it will be difficult to layer, mould it and have it keep its shape.
While the rice is cooking make the spice pastes to colour and flavour the rice.
The white coloured coconut milk rice is done and needs no further cooking.
To make the saffron/ orange coloured rice, start by puréeing the cooked carrot and tomatoes till smooth. Heat the 1 1/2 tsp oil in a pan and add the turmeric powder and the sambhar powder and stir a couple of times. Add the carrot-tomato purée and cook for a couple of minutes till done.
Pour this cooked paste on one plate of still warm rice and using the fork, mix till the rice is uniformly orange in colour. Take care to see the rice doesn’t get broken and mushy.
To make the green coloured rice, Put the chopped onions, garlic paste, ginger paste, coconut, mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and the poppy seeds in a blender and purée till smooth.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the garam masala and stir a couple of times and then add the green paste. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
Pour this cooked paste on one plate of still warm rice and using the fork, mix till the rice is uniformly orange in colour. Take care to see the rice doesn’t get broken and mushy.
You can now layer the three different coloured rices together. If you are layering it in a large dish, grease the dish first. Then remember to put the orange rice at the bottom, then the white rice and lastly the green rice.
Press each layer down well before adding the next. Cover the dish with your serving plate, and slowly invert the dish onto it. Tap the dish gently and the rice should turn out onto the plate, orange layer on top.
If you are making single serves, grease your ring mould and then place on the serving plate. Starting with the green coloured rice, firmly pack equal amounts of the three different coloured rice one after the other into the ring mould.
Using the back of a spoon, slowly press down the rice while lifting the ring mould off the plate. Repeat for as many servings as required.
This recipe should serve 8 to 10 depending on serving size. Serve the rice with plain yogurt or raita or a mango salsa, Indian style pickles, and pappads or potato crisps.