Fragrant Tomato Pepper Rice (for the Daring Cooks), Or so I Thought

Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes the host for August Daring Cooks Challenge chose a Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, a contemporary Spanish Chef. Though I am a great fan of Spanish cuisine and a devoted follower of food trends across the globe, I knew instantly that this recipe was not for me:( Sorry Olga, this is a vegetarian blog!! But, hang in there, I did want to do the challenge, and so I immediately set out to make some creative changes - here is the result.

The Sofregit (a well cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions, and may at times different vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms) recipe looked great and with some minor alterations noted below and halving the quantity, I got this:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil (Use one)
5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped (Use 2)
2 small onions, chopped (Use one)
1 green pepper, chopped (optional) (Use half green and half red)
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped (Use 2)
1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional) (Skip this - Not going to work for our palette; Replace with 1 cup soy nuggets)
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Pinch of ground cumin, turmeric, and red chili flakes
Touch of dried oregano (Replace with 1 tbsp cilantro)

Next, simply added raw rice to the cooked mix. Cover and cook till done. Serve hot with fresh homemade garlic chutney!!

This recipe above is a delicious variation of the DC recipe, now isn't it? I thought so too. But when I got into the kitchen, I was overtaken by the urge to make something with fenugreek leaves, ground masalas, cashews, and soy chunks. And so by the time I finished, THIS is what I got. I did serve it with a garlic chutney;) Both recipes - Kaju Sathe Methi-Soy Pulao (Fenugreek-Soy Rice with Cashews) and Dry Garlic Chutney - are my own recipes.

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