Vegetable Curry and Black Rice

December 3, 2013

 

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Vegetable Curry and Black Rice
Author: 
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 4
 
Optional: Serve with roasted chick peas on the side.
Ingredients
  • For the rice:
  • 1 cup black rice or basmati rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 olive oil
  • 1 tsp. saffron threads (opt)
  • ¼ cup chopped pistachios
  • 1 small onion, cut into small dices
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. Curry Spice Blend
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
  • 3 carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 rutabaga or turnip (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ head cauliflower or broccoli, cut into florets
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • Optional - make your own curry spice blend:
  • 2 Tbls. ground turmeric
  • 1 stick cinnamon or ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cardamom seed
  • ¼ tsp. whole cloves
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. fennel seed
  • ¼ tsp. coriander seed
  • ¼ tsp. fenugreek
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. For the spice blend: Grind all the ingredients in a spice grinder and store, covered, in a cool, dark place. The curry will keep for up to a year, but it loses flavor over time. You can use a Madras curry blend, but it won’t be as dramatic.
  2. For the rice:
  3. In a small saucepan, add the rice, the 2 cups water, and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. When done, stir in 1 Tbl. of the brown butter, the saffron, the pistachios. Set aside.
  4. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 Tbl. brown butter and the onion. Saute and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, the 1 tsp. salt, and the 2 tsp. curry blend. Stir for 1 minute to release the oils in the spices. Add the stock, sugar, molasses, and lime juice and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place the carrots, and rutabaga in a pot of cold water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to a simmer, cook for 5 minutes, and add the cauliflower. Cook until the vegetables are easily pierced with a knife, another 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  6. Add the coconut milk to the curry and then all of the vegetables. Simmer for another few minutes.
  7. To serve, spoon some of the rice into the bowl and then arrange vegetables around and on the rice and add some of the curry sauce around the bowl. Garnish with the cilantro leaves and stems and lime wedges. Serve immediately.