Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Misr with Brown Basmati Rice: Healthy Meal for 70 cents


Here is a simple and quick recipe that I often cook when I don't have time and I want to eat something warm. It is my own creation using Misr(Malka, pink lentils) and Brown Basmati rice. The recipe uses a pressure cooker to cut down on the cooking time. I know that this is an amazing meal because I typically don't feel hungry for at least six hours. In my personal experience, the higher the nutrition is in the food you eat, the greater the degree of satiety.

Nutrition Information:
  •  Total Protein: 36 grams (26 grams from Malka and 10 grams from Rice)
  •  Total Fiber: 35 grams
  •  Total Calories: about 700 calories.
Other than that, this meal has 120% of folate, 80% thiamine, 60% Iron, 50% Zinc, and the list goes on.
Cost of the Meal: 70 cents; I hope McDonald Corporation goes to hell.

This is a complete meal because the rice adds the two essential amino acids that are missing in Malka.

Ingredients:
  • One tablespoon olive oil(regular) or sunflower oil.
  • 1/2 cup Misr, Malka, or Pink Lentils(100 grams)
  • 1/2 cup Brown Basmati rice(100 grams)
  • Two teaspoons of Berbere.
  • 1/2 teaspoon korarima(optional).
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or adjust according to taste.
  • 2 Cups of water.
Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker at medium heat, add berber, followed by korarima. Mix and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and malka, along with salt. Mix for two minutes. Add two cups of water. Close the pressure cooker lid and bring pressure to the second line(14 psi). Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. The meal is ready.




Modifications:
  • One can also use white basmati rice, or any other white rice. Reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes for brown basmati rice. Also, raise the amount of water to 3 cups instead of 2 cups, and increase the amount of berbere to 3 teaspoons.
  • Add your favorite greens or vegetables. If you plan to add vegetables then use white rice because the vegetables will be destroyed if cooked for too long. The pictures below show some variations using vegetables. 
     
     Mysterious greens from farmers' market

    14 comments:

    1. PoodiesgirlFebruary 2, 2012 at 6:38 PM

      I love your recipes and appreciate the Indian references, since that is the food I am most familiar with. I would like to know if you make your own Niter Kibe?
      Also, where do you buy your spices? Particularly the berbere? I wonder if Ethiopians are as loyal to spice brands as Indians...Anything like a Everest vs MDH brand? Or do you buy it in a specialty shop?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. DabralMay 18, 2012 at 12:04 AM

        I actually don't know how to make Niter Kibe. I do have a sense of how its done. My understanding is that all of the Ethiopian stores import the butter from Ethiopia, then they melt the butter and add the spices(sage, thyme, cardamom(elaichi), etc.) and cook. To me it is like Indian ghee, and has the same texture. It is very intense in flavor, partly because it is based on milk from cows in Ethiopia, who are probably eating good stuff.

        There are three places on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, there is the Yagerbeti Market next to Koreana Plaza(I believe 24th and Telegraph), then there is the Zion Market(approx. 30th and Telegraph), and finally there is closer to 40th and Broadway(Zahara??). I like Yagerbeti, which seems to be the favorite of the Ethiopians, and is also reasonably priced. The berbere I buy from Yagerbeti is in a plastic bag, and has been repackaged by the store owners. They are probably buying big sacks from Ethiopia and reappportioning them to smaller sizes. I have only seen Ethiopians in the store, so far it seems I am the only Indian who has ventured there. Couple of times, they have asked me, "Are you Habisha?", I laughed.

        Finally none of these shops are fancy and they speak very little English, but what they sell is of high quality. I would say start with Yagerbeti, that is the most comprehensive of the three stores I mentioned. And finally, there is some kind of a bulk distributor on Adeline in West Oakland, I haven't ventured there but if you need to start feeding Ethiopian food to a family of five, that is where I would probably head to buy my 50 lbs of pink lentils.

        Cheers

        Delete
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