Happy Day after Thanksgiving, all! If you have a lot of fresh cranberries remaining since yesterday, try out this savory and slightly tart cranberry fried rice recipe. It's the perfect way to use them all up.
My mom used to make something like this during this time of year whenever she could find cranberries at the grocery store. I always loved this, because it was a nice twist on the typical lemon rice or pulihara (pulihora, puliogre, a tamarind rice), great for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Ingredients:
· 1.5 cups cranberries
· 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
· 2 cups cooked white rice
· 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
· 1 or 2 dried red chilies (depending on your spice tolerance)
· 2 tbs olive oil
· 1 tsp black mustard seeds
· 10 - 12 curry leaves
· 1 tbs chana dal
· 1 tbs urad dal
· 1 tsp cumin seeds
· 1 tsp ground coriander
· 1/8 tsp hing/asafetida
· 2 tsp salt, or as per taste
· 1/2 cup cilantro to garnish
Directions:
1. In a deep skillet over a medium flame, add in a little olive oil and your cranberries, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute them for a minute or two and add in the chilis and cumin seeds.
2. Stir them around well so that they don't stick to the pan. If there is any kind of burning, add a little splash of water.
3. Add in the hing and coriander powder. Turn the flame to medium-low and keep an eye on it. It should take around 5-8 minutes to get nice and tender enough to just press with your spatula. You don't want them to be whole because they'll be too tart to bite into.
4. Once they are tender, remove them from the pot. Time to make the tadka! In the same pot, add in some more of the olive oil. You can add the rest of it at this step. Add in the black mustard seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add in your chana dal and then your urad dal. Let them fry up until they become crunchy and golden.
5. Add in the spinach. Let it saute and wilt. Now add in your cranberry mixture and rice. Add in the rest of your salt and mix thoroughly to combine well. At this point everything is ready to serve. I like to garnish it with some fresh cilantro and some roasted salted peanuts for some nice texture.
6. If you're going to make this a day in advance, make sure that you make the tadka (step #4) fresh and sprinkle it on top of the rice.
Happy Thanksgiving and the start of your holiday season. I hope that you can cherish your loved ones and spend time with them, because that's what this season is about! Don't let the crazy allure of Black Friday ruin that for you. Make this dish with some roasted butternut squash soup as a side dish and practice some slow living with your family and friends.
‘Till next time, byeee!