Vegan Thursday: Brown Rice Peas- and- Seeds Pulao, gluten free

This is a complete meal, especially if you add some salad to boost up the veg content, as it contains protein from all 4 sources: pulses, nuts, seeds and grains.

This meal is simple to make, packed with protein, fibre and carbs, and altogether pretty darn healthy and satisfying. We think it's a great Vegan Thursdays recipe, and one that should appeal to you whatever your usual diet. The green peas could also be wholly or partly replaced by chana (chickpeas) and you could also use whatever nuts and seeds you have to hand- though our choice of cashews and pumpkin seeds was particularly yummy! If you'd like to make this yourself, scroll down to the recipe:

It also looks very attractive. We also added some sev/chevda spicy mix and tomato ketchup, for an instant bhel puri-

cum-tava pulao-style street food experience (and ate it before I could take any pictures!)

One cup =250ml, and this recipe serves 6-8, or more if you add chevda and chutney/ ketchup/ brown sauce.

2 cups organic long-grain brown rice, washed and soaked

1 cup green peas, cooked

1 cup sweetcorn kernels, cooked

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup cashew pieces

2 bell peppers, chopped and de-seeded

seasalt to taste

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

soy sauce of your choice to taste

a little unrefined sunflower oil for frying

• First, cook the rice in twice the amount of water with a pinch of salt. Ensure that it has absorbed all the cooking water.
• In your tava or wok, lightly roast the nuts and seeds in the oil. Stir-fry the peppers, add the peas and corn and throw in the nuts and seeds. Add the seasonings.
• Finally, add the cooked rice and mix everything well, heating gently and thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings now if you like.
• Serve with sev mamra and chutney mixed in, accompanied by a salad, with a dollop of tahini, or just as it is.

This also goes to "Dish it Out" pulses and vegetables event for June, hosted this month by Vardhini over at: http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/06/dish-it-out-lentilslegumes-and-vegetables-event-announcement.html

Oh, and while we're on the subject of events, stay tuned for our roundup of June's Chia Champions event on 30.6.13, and news of our new Ingredient of the Month and associated event on 1.7.13!