Rice is the third most produced agricultural product worldwide. It is one of the most versatile ingredients, if cooked properly, and it can change dishes entirely. Rice could be delicious even on its own with just some salt and pepper, but with the right products, it can be transformed from delicious to a marvelous, mouth-watering dish. This is the purpose of the article – to find out creative ways on how to spice up white rice and make it taste like a Michelin star dish!
We have selected 5 easy recipes – in all of them the star of the meal is white rice and in all of them it has been elevated and spiced up – made worthy for even the finest critics.
Here are our top 5 ways to spice up white rice:
White Rice with Roasted Tomatoes and Rosemary
You will need:
- pre-cooked white rice
- 3-4 yellow tomatoes
- 3-4 red tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic
How to do it:
Cut the tomatoes into slices. Spray some olive oil on a metal tray, covered with baking paper; put the tomatoes and make sure to spray them as well. Sprinkle salt on top of them and add the rosemary and the smashed garlic cloves.
Bake at 392°F or 200°C for 20-30 minutes. Once done, let them rest and heat up the rice, if cold, over a double boiler. Combine with the roasted tomatoes in a big bowl and top with some olive oil.
If you are not in the mood for something too heavy, our second recipe is just for you!
White Rice with Herms and Lime
You will need:
- pre-cooked white rice
- the juice of 1 lime
- the zest of 1 lime
- 1-2 spring onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- cilantro
- dill
- parsley
How to do it:
Juice the lime and zest it, chop finely the spring onions, cilantro, dill and parsley.
In a bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing and top the cold white rice with it, mix well and serve with some basil pesto.
White Rice with Slow Cooked Scrambled Eggs
You will need:
- pre-cooked white rice
- 3 whole eggs
- 9 oz or 250 g of butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp peppe
How to do it:
Get a large bowl and beat your three eggs until they start becoming a little bit foamy. Put a non-stick pan on the stove and turn on the heat at first to medium-low. After 3-5 minutes, turn it down to low. Wait another minute before you put the butter in. Melt it slowly and then add the eggs.
You will notice how they are not starting to cook right away. This is what we want. With a wooden spatula start making lines while slightly pressing it to the bottom of the pan. The eggs should be still very liquid, but when you drag the spatula, very delicate thick and thin webs will appear.
Keep doing this on low heat – in about 2-3 minutes, the eggs should appear scrambled, but extremely soft and glistening. All of the butter has been incorporated in our scrambled eggs. Now is the time to remove them from the heat and season them with salt and pepper.
Serve on top of the rice with some hot sauce on the side
This recipe can easily become a vegan one – just substitute the butter for olive oil or coconut oil and enjoy some great tastes!
White Rice with Curry and Coconut Milk
You will need:
- pre-cooked white rice
- 2 tbsp of red curry paste
- the juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- ½-2 cups of coconut milk
- 2 oz or 50 g butter
- mint
How to do it:
Heat a deep pan on high temperature, add the butter and let it brown. Once done, in goes the garlic paste, stir and add after about 30 seconds when you start sensing its aroma, add the minced garlic clove. Mix well and make sure the garlic does not get burnt.
Now is time for the lemon juice and curry paste. When everything is well incorporated, add the coconut milk. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes and let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Combine the sauce with the white rice – serve with mint on top!
White Rice Salad with Kale and Roasted Chickpeas
You will need:
- pre-cooked white rice
- kale
- 1 can of chickpeas
- bacon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 4 oz or 100 g of butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
How to do it:
Get your cast iron pan on the stove and set to high temperature. While it is heating up dice your bacon. Add the butter in the pan and melt it. The bacon goes in – cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Remove it from the pan with kitchen tongs – we will need only the oil left, the bacon you can incorporate in another dish, like chocolate and bacon cupcakes.
Open the can of chickpeas and drain all the water. Once done, transfer them from the can to the hot pan carefully with a bigger spoon.
Tip: Do not drop them right into the pan, because you risk burning yourself with the extremely hot oil!
Toss them for several seconds then season with onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Roast the chickpeas for 4-5 minutes. Wash your kale, add it to the rice and when the chickpeas are ready – put them in the bowl with the kale and rise, stir a couple of times and drizzle olive oil on top.
We hope you now know how to spice up white rice and you liked our 5 simple recipes, more of them will follow soon!
