I like to travel by train. Main reason being, I can pack some tasty food for the journey, which forms an important part of the train travel. Of course, you can get food from the dining car in some trains. I don’t think it is advisable to buy food from there unless you really don’t have anything to eat.
If you are traveling by Lalbagh or Brindavan Express, you will be tempted to buy and eat what all comes in the compartment. They bring Iddli chutney, Masal Dosa, bread sandwiches, cutlets and what not, along with coffee/tea. My brother at Bangalore used to tell us not to buy anything and eat from there which may spoil our appetite, as he will be preparing nice food for us in his house. That didn’t prevent me from buying food in the dining car either.
Well, I used to succumb to all those temptations before at one time. But now? I prepare my own food to take during train journeys, after realizing that it is hygienically safe and also economical. Only one thing, which I cannot still resist or prepare myself in the compartment, is coffee! I do buy coffee after having the food item packed for the journey. That’s okay!
Usually, I pack two sets of rice items for the train journey. - Curd rice and the lemon rice. Curd rice is very easy to make. You just have to cook the plain rice, mix it with curds and season it. I know you folks can prepare it very well, as already for this summer you may be enjoying the curd rice. Well, I thought of giving you the recipe of my “Lemon Rice” which I pack for the train journey. It goes very well with a side dish, which may be boiled eggs, a vegetable subjee or a meat cutlet.
When my mother left for Bangalore after seeing me in Chennai, I packed for her this lemon rice with minced meat preparation. She said she enjoyed the meal very much. Hope you will take time to try my recipe, even if you are not going on a train journey. It’s for all seasons!
Here is my recipe!
LEMON RICE
2Cups long grained rice
300ml Concentrated lemon juice
6 tbs Cooking oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ cup Peanuts
4 Green chillies
½ tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbs Chopped ginger
2 tbs Chopped fresh coriander
31/2 cups Water
Enough salt to taste
Cooking Method:
Cook rice in water to which salt has been added. Set aside.
In a pan, big enough to hold all the rice, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and peanuts and fry until they are light brown. Add chopped green chillies, ginger and fresh coriander and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice. Let the mixture boil for 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves. That’s it! Your tasty lemon rice is ready!
Now, for packing the meals. It is hygienic if you pack the food prepared in stainless steel containers or tiffin carriers. If you can get thermacole packing box in India, you can pack the food easily inside as it is disposable. Some people like to pack their meals in plantain leaves. That’s also good. Along with the food prepared, plenty of water has to be carried for the train journey, preferably mineral water. If you can’t afford mineral water, you can take boiled and cooled water.
You can pack other food items like Chapatti, Puri with potato masala as side dish. But, I have seen potato dish going bad or stale after sometime. You don’t want to upset your tummy in a train journey. So, I won’t recommend that combination to you. Anyway, enjoy your train journey, pack nice food to eat and have lots of fun!