There are times when you can’t be bothered with cooking vegetables and rice separately. Cook them together and you have a one-pot dish that is delicious and satisfying on its own. These veggie-rice combos also serve up as appetizing side dishes when served with meat, poultry or seafood.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup finely diced onions
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh broad leaf thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Minced hot pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ pounds pumpkin, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 2 cups long grain parboiled rice, rinsed well and drained of excess water
- 3 ½ cups boiling water
DIRECTIONS
- Add oil to a pot and place over medium heat until hot.
- Toss in onions, thyme, garlic and pepper; sprinkle with salt, toss to mix well then reduce heat to low and cook until fragrant and onions are softened.
3.Raise heat to high and add pumpkin and rice, toss to mix with seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in water, give the pot a good stir, add salt to taste, stir again, cover pot and bring to a boil. Cook until you see the surface of the rice, reduce heat to very low and cook covered for 35 minutes.
- At the end of the cooking time, shut off the heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
- Serve as is for a vegetarian/vegan meal or accompanied by some type of cooked meat or seafood.
NOTES
- Stock can be used in place of water.
- Broad leaf thyme gives a unique flavour but if you do not have access to such, use regular fine thyme.
- The flavour profile of this dish can be changed but omitting thyme and adding ¾ teaspoon of freshly ground jeera/cumin and 1 teaspoon curry powder at direction # 2.
- Dried shrimp, flaked (de-salted) salt fish or smoked fish added to the pot at direction # 3 would make this into a different but equally yummy dish.
