Pounded Rice with Vegetables | Recipe

West Bengal is famous for its paddy fields and rice cultivation. Rice is a staple in Kolkata and there are so many different varieties. Basmati rice is most commonly known, but we tend to use different kinds for different dishes. In this recipe we use chirey or chira, which is parboiled rice that has been pounded flat and dried – you may find this sold as ‘rice flakes’ or under any of the following names: chir, chirey, poha, powa or pawa. It’s used in many snack dishes, but this breakfast dish is one of my favourites, as it’s so vibrant to look at and can have a variety of vegetables added to it – a perfect way to use up vegetables in the fridge. 

Ingredients

• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-cm cubes
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-cm cubes
• 1 handful of green beans, topped and tailed and cut into 
• 1-cm pieces
• 125–150g cauliflower, cut into the tiniest florets
• 100g frozen peas
• 250g (2 generous cups) pounded rice (use the medium/
• thick type only)
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil
• 1½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1-cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 green bird’s eye chilli (or regular chilli to tone down the heat), slit lengthways
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon whole redskin peanuts
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander (cilantro), including stalks
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• salt

Method

Blanch the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 

3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Repeat the above step with the rest of the chopped vegetables, including the frozen peas, then drain and set aside in a separate bowl.

Place the pounded rice in a colander and wash it carefully, running it under gently flowing cold water for about 30 seconds. Leave to drain.

In the same pan used for blanching, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over a medium heat. When hot, gently add the parboiled potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, allowing all sides to lightly brown. Remove the potatoes and return them to the bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add the onion and ginger. Stir well so they don’t stick to the pan. Add the sugar and chilli, and cook until the onions become translucent. Add the potatoes, blanched vegetables, turmeric and 1½ teaspoons of salt, and mix well. Carefully add the drained pounded rice, peanuts, raisins and coriander, and mix very gently so that the pounded rice doesn’t break up. Cook for a further 4 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Drizzle the lemon juice over just before serving and enjoy.