People tend to be afraid of cooking with whole grain rice, but once you learn that it requires different care than its more familiar white sibling, you fall in love with it easily—not just for its nutritional value but also for its taste and texture.
This time, I chose whole grain Basmati rice in the style of Persian green rice with an abundance of herbs, spinach, and zucchini. A boost of color, flavor, and health that can be a festive side or a rich vegan dish.
The secret to flavor and softness is soaking the rice in advance and the initial cooking.
Green Rice with a Boost
Recipe by: Orly Plai-Bronstein
20 minutes prep, 70 minutes total, easy to make, serves 7
Ingredients for the recipe
2½ cups whole Basmati rice (500 g), soaked for 3 hours in plenty of salted water
4–6 tbsp mild olive oil or grapeseed oil
3 cups chopped herbs (for example: parsley, dill, cilantro, green onion, mint, tarragon)
2 cups chopped Swiss chard or spinach
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 cup frozen green peas
1 thinly sliced zucchini
A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp hot water or turmeric (optional, but adds flavor)
Salt
Ground black pepper
How to make green rice with a boost:
1. Boil the rice in a pot with salted water for 7 minutes until softened but still slightly firm in the center. Drain. Rinse and dry the pot.
2. Return the pot to the stove, add 4 tbsp oil, the drained rice, 2/3 of the herbs, half of the spinach/Swiss chard, garlic, and saffron. Mix gently.
3. Pour in ½ cup boiling water, create holes in the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon to allow steam to escape, and cook with a lid for half an hour.
4. Add the remaining greens and zucchini, mix, cover, and cook for up to 10 minutes or until the rice is very soft and all liquids are absorbed.
In collaboration with Sugat