Spicy Vegetable Pilaf with Cauliflower

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

When serving, I recommend adding a bit of soy sauce to the dish. Be extra careful with it if you have salted the dish during cooking.

Ingredients

Wild rice - ½ cup
Boiled White Round Rice - ½ cup
Onion - 1 piece
Carrot - 1 piece
Cauliflower - ¼ piece
Water - 2½ cups
Chinese Five Spice - 1½ tablespoons
Fresh basil leaves - ½ tablespoon
Olive Oil - 4 tablespoons
Ocean salt - to taste
Soy Sauce - to taste
Dried Rosemary - ½ tablespoon
Dried Chamomile - ½ tablespoon

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a pot (or cauldron) and add finely chopped onion.

Step 2

Once the onion becomes translucent, add more olive oil and finely chopped medium-sized carrot (you can grate it on a medium grater).

Step 3

Add spices and salt to the carrot and onion, and sauté until the carrot is soft.

Step 4

Cut the cauliflower into small pieces (about 1x1 or 2x2 cm), add it to the vegetables in the pot, and mix well. Cover the mixture and simmer for 5–7 minutes.

Step 5

Add water to the pot, cover with a lid, and wait for it to boil. Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly and let the water drain.

Step 6

After the water boils, add the rice to the pot, mix well with the vegetables, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for 15–20 minutes until the rice absorbs the necessary amount of water. Do not stir the dish, as the rice will lose its shape and turn mushy.

Step 7

After 15–20 minutes, taste the dish. If the rice is ready (brown rice will be soft, black will be firmer — which is how it should be), turn off the heat and let the pilaf sit covered for 10 minutes. There should be a little liquid left at the bottom to keep the dish from being dry.