Basmati Primavera Rice

Kitty FloridoMarch 30, 2015

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Who doesn’t love kitchen specialty stores? From stores that sell every single bowl, cutting boards and knives you might need in your kitchen, baking supply stores and great delis and markets are great places to stop by from time to time. A few weeks ago, I stopped at one of my favorite markets here in Guatemala, called Orgánica. There, you can find specialty ingredients, such as the basmati rice I am sharing the recipe below. But wait, no rush. So, in this store you can find every single ingredient you need for gluten-free cooking, vegan diets or even get pink rock salt by the bag, they have it all. So, I picked a bag of Basmati Rice, and I knew I wanted to make a Basmati Primavera Rice right away. This weekend the veggies were fresh and the rice a few steps away.

I had fresh veggies from the market, including güicoy (in the states you can get it as Chayote). Güicoy is an edible plant that belongs to the same family as melons, cucumbers and squash. It’s native to México and from there it has expanded its crops to Latin America and exported to the US and Europe. So, I prepared all my veggies and in 45 minutes I had it all ready. You cook the rice and veggies separately, then mix it together to serve.

Kitty

Basmati Primavera Rice

A Foodies’ Kitchen Original Recipe
6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 cup of brown basmati rice
1 ½ cup of vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, for the rice
1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, to sauté
½ small onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ medium bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small carrot, cut into thin match sticks
1 chayote or güicoy, cut into thin match sticks
½ bunch of green beans, cut in ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander or cilantro
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine basmati rice, vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and ground bay leaves in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil with medium heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. When the time is done, fluff the rice with a fork and transfer to a plate or bowl.
In a medium sauce pan, heat the remaining vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until fragrant. Add bell peppers, celery, carrots and chayote, cook for a minute, mixing to get the vegetables combined. Add the green beans and the tablespoon of water, cover for a minute or so so the green beans can steam.
Uncover and season with coriander, cumin, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the vegetables with the rice, and serve immediately.