Fried rice usually comes in handy when we are not in a mood to cook an ellaborate meal  or there is leftover rice. This one pot meal can be made in a jiffy, whether you make it with vegetables or with chicken. I have chosen the later .

The host for August Daring Cooks Challenge is Olga from Las Cosas de and Olga's recipes. She has chosen a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.

Olga says, chef Jose Andres is trained under well-known Ferran Adria at his three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli. José Andrés lives now in Washington DC and he owns several restaurants in Washington DC area (El Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel…).

The recipe She brings us is from his US TV show Made in Spain.

Rice with Potatoes, Rock shrimp and artichokes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Equipment:

1 Chopping Board
1 knife
1 medium saucepan
1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size)
1 Saucepan


Sofregit (a well cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions, and may at times contains different vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms)-

Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Touch of ground cumin
Touch of dried oregano

Method:

Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.

Allioli : Traditional Recipe

Allioli is served together with the rice and it gives a very nice taste

Cooking time: 20 min aprox.

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of salt
Fresh lemon juice (some drops)
Extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish preferred but not essential)

Method:

Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.

Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)

Add the lemon juice to the garlic.

Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.

Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.

Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out. This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.

José's tips for traditional recipe:

It's hard to think that, when you start crushing the garlic, it will ever turn into something as dense and smooth as allioli. But don't give up. It's worth the extra time and effort to see the oil and garlic come together before your eyes. Just make sure you're adding the olive oil slowly, drop by drop. Keep moving the pestle around the mortar in a circular motion and keep dreaming of the thick, creamy sauce at the end of it all.




Allioli a la moderna (Modern recipe)
Cooking time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small egg
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
Salt to taste

Method:

Break the egg into a mixing bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice.

Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste.
Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending.

If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce.
Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.

The sauce will be a lovely yellow color.

Add salt to taste.

José's tips for modern recipe:

If you do not have access to a hand blender, you can use a hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, you must double the recipe or the amount will be too little for the blades to catch and emulsify.

What happens if the oil and egg separate? Don't throw it out. You can do two things. One is to whisk it and use it as a side sauce for a fish or vegetable. But if you want to rescue the allioli, take 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in another beaker and start adding to the mix little by little. Blend it again until you create the creamy sauce you wanted.


The Rice:

Ingredients (serves 4):


4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available),cut into eights
2 Potatoes, diced
2 Bay leaves
1 glass of white wine
1/2 lb rock shrimp, shelled and deveined
“Sofregit” (see recipe up)
1 1/2 cups short grain rice
3 cups water ( For 1 cup rice use 2 cups water )
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbs olive oil
Alioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional

Method:


Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add the shrimp.

Add a bay leaf, artichokes and the potatoes to the shrimp.

Sauté until the artichokes turn golden.

Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.

Add the sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.

Add water and bring it to boil.

Add rice, Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.

Add turmeric and stir. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)

Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.

Olga’s Tips:

(1) In Spain, rice is not stired as often as it is when cooking Italian risotto. You must stir it once or twice maximum. This tip is valid for all Spanish rice dishes like paella, arròs negre, arròs a banda…

(2) When cooking the alternative style you can change the cuttlefish or squid for diced potato.

(3) If you can’t find cuttlefish or squid, or you’re not able to eat them because of allergies, you can try to substitute them for chicken or vegetables at your choice.

(4) Sofregit can be done in advance. You can keep it in the fridge or even freeze it.

(5) To watch how Jose Andres cooks this dish click here.

(6) For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video.

(7) To tone down the taste when you do it by hand in a mortar, then add an egg yolk. If you want to tone it down in the alternative way use milk or soy milk. Anyway, the best alternative way is the original oil and garlic alone.

(8) Allioli must be consumed during the preparation day and preserved in the fridge before using it.

A very easy and quick recipe made with bulgar.






You Need:

1 cup bulgar
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green chillies, slit
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup of corinader leaves + mint leaves
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 bayleaf
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter or ghee
2 cups water

Method:

Wash and soak bulgar in water for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil and butter in a pressure cooker. Add bayleaf,cardamom,cloves,cumin and fennel. Saute till the aroma is released.

Add in the onions, green chilies and saute till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and saute till they turn mushy. Now add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, salt, mint and coriander leaves. Mix well. Add the vegetables to the masala and mix for 2-3 minutes.

Add the drained bulgar and mix well to coat the masalas. Add two cups of water.

check for salt. close the lid and switch off after 3 whistles.

Allow it to cool, mix well and serve with raita.

Don't get confused with the name ! 

Peas Pulao







Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice [ soaked in water for 20minutes].

1/2 cup carrot, sliced into cubes.

1/2 cup green beans, thinly sliced.

1/2 cup cauliflower, separated into tiny flowers.

1/2 cup mushroom, sliced thinly.

1/2 cup potatoes, sliced thinly.

1/2 cup bell pepper of any colour, sliced into thin stripes.

1/4 cup green peas.

1 big onion, thinly sliced .

1 tomato, chopped.

2 green chillies, cut into halves.

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste.

3 cardamom pods.

2 bay leaves.

3 cloves.

1 cinnamon.

1/2 tsp fennel seeds.

1/2 cup mint leaves.

1 tsp curry powder.

1/4 tsp chili powder.

1/4 tsp coriander powder.

1 tsp ghee.

1 tsp oil.

1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

salt.

1 1/2 cups water.

Method:

Heat ghee and oil in a pan.Add bay leaves,cardamom,cinnamon,cloves and fennel , let them fry for a minute.Now add the green chillies and onion , fry them .

Add ginger garlic paste , fry them to release the raw aroma.Add tomatoes , fry them till they are tender.

Add the veggies , curry powder,chilli powder,coriander powder and turmeric , mint leaves ,mix well.

Add rice ,salt and mix well.Add water and transfer the whole mixture into a rice cooker.

if cooking with a pressure cooker , put the whistle on and leave it in simmer for 10 -12 minutes.

If u are using the frozen peas , thaw them and add it to the rice at last . As the peas is already cooked and freezed ,they become mushy when u cook them again. If not add it along with vegetables.

When rice is cooked, mix gently adding few drops of ghee and parsely.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice [ soak it in water for abt 20minutes ].

1 tbs ginger garlic paste.

1 big onion thinly sliced.

2 green chillies.

1 cup coconut milk.

2 cups water.

3 cardamom.

2 bay leaves.

1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

1 tsp butter

1 tsp oil.

Method:

Heat oil and butter in a pan.Add cardamom and bay leaves , fry until the aroma is released.Now add onion and green chillies , fry until they are tender.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry well.Add the rice to the onion and mix well until the rice is nicely coated with butter and oil.

In a separate bowl mix 1 cup coconut milk with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.Now add the coconut milk to the rice mixture and mix it with salt.

Transfer the mixture to a rice cooker.If using a pressure cooker , put the whistle on and leave it in simmer for 10minutes.

U can serve it with raita or any type of chicken curry.