Easter is just upon us, so here's my first dish for your festive table this year. This veggie rice, is one that we have been eating in my family for ages. My mum makes it for every special occasion, birthdays, Christmas, Easter - it's my sister's favourite, so it's a must! So, today, I present to you my vegan version, since hers it's with prawns and I hope you like it as much as I do!
Vegan, nut free, gluten free | Serves 3 | MAIN
Ingredients:
Mushrooms:
- 400g mushrooms (portobellini)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20g butter
- Salt and pepper
- A pinch of garlic granules and chili flakes
- Thyme (fresh or dried)
Yellow rice:
- 200g basmati rice
- 1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Mixed vegetables:
- 250g frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 veggie cube stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari to keep it gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
- A pinch of garlic granules and chili flakes
Serve with:
- Crispy Fried onions
- Cabbage salad with a balsamic dressing
- Plant-based yogurt
Steps:
1.Cut the mushrooms into quarters and peel the garlic cloves.
2.Add the mushrooms in a wide pan, on a single layer, divide them into two batches if your pan is small. And cook for few minutes on a medium heat.
3.At first, they will be dry, then they will release a lot of moisture, you need to cook them until this water has been evaporated. Remember to stir them occasionally.
4.In the meantime, cook the rice and veggies. For the rice, once you rinse it well, add it in a pot, with the turmeric, olive oil and salt and sauté for a minute, on a medium heat, before you add 400ml boiling water. Then lower the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5.For the veggies, add them in a pan along with the veggie stock cube and cover with water, boil for 8-10 minutes.
6.Back to the mushrooms, once the water has been evaporated, add all the remaining mushroom ingredients and sauté for 3-4 minutes, this is where we add flavour into them. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Then remove from the heat.
7.Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it rest.
8.Once the veggies are cook, drain the water, add the remaining vegetable ingredients and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add 100 ml of boiling water and cook for additional 2-3 minutes.
9.In a heatproof dish, spread half of the rice, then half of the veggies, then the remaining rice, followed by the remaining veggies. On top add the mushrooms. So, the layers from bottom to top are: rice, veggies, rice, veggies, mushrooms.
10.Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.
11.Then serve with crispy fried onions or spring onions and a cabbage salad. You could also serve it with some plant-based yogurt.
Enjoy!
Notes:
*The frozen mixed vegetables I used had sweetcorn, peas, peppers and carrots.
*If you can't prep all the components together, prep one by one.
*You can prep all the components up to 1 day in advance, store them in the fridge and assemble and bake the day you want to serve.