So now the BIG secret in my house is out! Baked Rice is my way of utilizing every morsel of left-overs in our house! There have been times when I have had surpirse guests, not enough food for everyone and no time to make anything…and I admit it, I have served this! The amazing part is that it has got rave reviews AND to top it all – requests (!??!!). And the other amazing thing about this awesome dish- it tastes different everytime you make it!
A dish made by anyone and everyone associated with the Indian Armed forces (I guess it has made its rounds), was passed on to me by my Mom. Enjoy!
Method:
1. Warm up all the leftovers , including the Rice.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
3, Spary an oven-safe deep dish with cooking oil.
4. Spread a layer of Rice to the bottom and gently press it in.
5. Spread a layer of dry Subzi/Vegetable dish and gently press in.
6. Sprinkle Salt and Chili Powder, to taste.
7. Repeat with a layer of Rice and press in and drizzle little oil.
8. Repeat with a layer of Subzi again and then Salt and Chili powder.
9. Repeat till the leftovers are finished or the dish is full.
10. Finish off with garnishings for the top layer. Options for the top layer – Chopped Onions, Tomatoes, Chutneys, Ketchup and Egg. Use a few or all of them.
11. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the dish has a little color on the top layer.
12. Serve hot with Raita.
Tips:
1. Have fun with this dish and experiment…add chopped onions and tomatoes after the Salt & Chili Powder, for an extra crunch.
2. The dry dishes go on the lower layers and the ones with gravy use on the upper layers.
3. Try to avoid very watery gravy dishes as they will just make the dish very soggy.
4. Also, try not to use too many gravy dishes…balance out between the dry and gravy dishes.
5. The top most layer, the Rice will get crisp and tastes wonderful. But if you prefer it soft, do not use egg and cover and cook the Baked Rice for 25 minutes and uncovered for 5 minutes.
