Kidney beans cooked with sautéed onions, tomatoes, spices and broccoli, steamed with basmati rice
A fat free biryani? Sounds like a contradiction of terms! Try it and you'll see how easy it is to prepare and flavourful to eat. Broccoli protects the heart against cell damage while kidney beans are a good source of cholesterol reducing fibre, helping prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after meals and keeping the stomach full for longer. They are also high in folate and magnesium – both good for the heart.
- 8 cups water
- 1 ¼ cup basmati rice, washed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ inch piece ginger
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 large canned whole plum tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp each: turmeric, cayenne pepper and garam masala
- 1 tsp each: ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds and kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1½ cup cooked kidney beans (rajma)
- 1 cup small broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Bring 8 cups water to boil in saucepan set over high heat. Add rice, bring to boil again. Reduce heat to medium, stir rice once and simmer 7 minutes until almost cooked but not mushy. Drain well in sieve. Reserve.
Place garlic, ginger, onion, tomatoes, salt and all spices in food processor or blender. Process until well minced.
Transfer to deep non-stick skillet and add cooked kidney beans. Stir to mix, cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 minutes. Add broccoli florets, cover and cook again 10 minutes.
Uncover skillet, add rice and mix it in gently. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes until rice is cooked through, fluffy and dry and all sauce has been absorbed. Sprinkle lemon juice, mix gently. Transfer to platter and serve.
Serves four-six