Office lunches tend to get boring with similar food making its way into our lunch boxes every day. Take a break from the dals, rotis, burgers and sandwiches and try this protein-rich vegetable pulao instead. Not only will you gain crucial protein to replenish and rejuvenate your muscles' wear and tear, but you will also enjoy the light brown rice flavoured with delicious, lightly sauteed vegetables and soya chunks. Portion control becomes important, since this is rice based, even though it is brown rice we're talking about. Try this simple, protein-rich vegetable pulao this weekend, and pack it along for a healthy and different lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice - washed and soaked
• 2 cups chopped, mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, cauliflower, broccoli)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/2 cup sprouts
• 1/2 cup soya chunks - soaked and ready to cook
• 1'' cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1 tsp red chill powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbs Olive oil

Method

• Add the oil to a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. After a few seconds, add the onions and stir till the onions become light pink.
• Add all the whole spices, along with the vegetables (not sprouts and soya). Stir well, and cook (covered, with 1/4 cup water) until the hardest vegetable (in this case carrots) is slightly tender. If you're short on time, skip the carrots. This should take about 5-8 minutes. 
• Add sprouts and soya and stir for 2-3 minutes.
• Now, add the drained brown rice, with salt and chilli powder. You can also add any other favourite masalas at this point. Stir till the rice starts forming clumps.
• Then, add the 2 cups of water and bring the whole pot to a boil. After the boil, simmer and cook covered, till the rice is cooked - usually another 8 minutes.

You can serve this simple protein-rich vegetable pulao with some skimmed yogurt, a side salad or some grilled fish. Remember to practise portion control. A good serving size would be approximately 80gms, which is essentially the size of a quarter plate. Enjoy!

*Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images