Sometimes we need easy and straight-forward recipes especially if juggling work and life. This rice dish has been in my heart and on our family table for many years. It’s one of several a dear Sydney friend, Glenys, shared a long time ago, written in her lovely script in my now raggedy falling-apart recipe book. Everytime I make a Glenys dish it’s such a mindful meander down memory lane I want to call her instantly, then I realize it’s way past midnight in Sydney.
Growing up, I was never a fan of rice salads. Usually very white, sometimes gooey, and not enough going on in them to win me over. The combo here of snibbled crispy veg with nutty and/or seedy crunch plus the tamari-lemony garlic works a treat.
I can’t say I’ve found any other rice salads I love as much apart from one with lentils, so if you have a secret scrummy rice salad please share with me anywhere you want – text, email or even snail mail (how I’ve loved these past weeks of hand-written post! Thank you to all snail mailers, let’s keep it going xxx)
This salad could be part of a shared feast, or enjoy with supper or lunch alongside any protein you love.
Do tweak the amount of tamari or garlic or lemon so it suits your tastebuds before you lavish it over your finished creation x
Ingredients
For 4
250g brown or mixed rice (eg.wild, red & brown basmati)
5 spring onions (or 3 large ones), finely chopped
1 red & 1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 smallish carrots, finely chopped
3 tbsp sunflower and pumpkin seeds
150 g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped (last time I used some left over delicious Spanish Marcona almonds and didn’t roast); 1 tbsp to decorate at the end
150g cup currants (soak if you’ve had them stored far too long, overnight or at least 6 hours)
One generous handful, or 120g each, of chopped coriander and parsley
Dressing:
120g cup olive oil or avocado oil
3-4 tbsp gf tamari sauce (start with 3 then taste test and adjust if necessary)
3 tbsp lemon juice (ditto)
2 cloves garlic
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
Cook the rice and let cool. Meanwhile toast the skinned almonds until golden brown, cool and chop roughly. Mix all the finely chopped vegetables and herbs with the currants, nuts and/or seeds, and the cooled rice.
Pour over dressing and mix; top with tbsp chopped almonds.
Can’t get much easier, right?