Nut Rice is a delicious, rich and satiating rice dish that may be served as part of the main course. As the name suggests, it is basically a combination of superior quality rice and either one or more different nuts coming together to impart a nutty flavour and crunchy texture to the final product.
Ingredients and Preparation
Olive oil, finely chopped onion, salt, nuts - a mix of pistachios, walnuts, almonds and pine nuts, minced garlic cloves, spice powders – coriander, cumin, black pepper, long-grain brown rice or basmati brown rice, dry white wine, chicken or vegetable broth and flat-leaf parsley, for garnish.
Olive oil is heated in a pan, garlic and onion are sautéed with little salt, nuts are then added and fried. Coriander, cumin and pepper powders are added and mixed till aroma emanates. Rice is stirred in. White wine is added and cooked until it is absorbed into the rice. The stock/broth is added next and brought to a boil. The rice is cooked until done and minced parsley is used to garnish.
Recipe Variations
1. Pine Nut Rice Pilaf: Garlic, cumin and oregano are sautéed, rice is added followed by pine nuts and stirred to coat well. Chicken stock is added and brought to boil till rice is completely cooked and fluffy. Nutritive Value A single serving of ~ 200g provides • 717.7 calories with 301 calories from fat • Total Fat content is 33.4 g with 3.5 g saturated fat • Cholesterol content is 7.4 mg • Sodium content is 350 mg • Total carbohydrate content is 88.1 g with dietary fibre content of 2.6 g and 5.1 g sugars. • Protein content is 17.5 g
2. Cashewnut and Mushroom Rice: Sliced mushroom and soy sauce are added to flavour this nut rice which makes use of cashewnuts to deliver a tasty crunch to the soft, savoury rice cooked in flavour-rich vegetable broth.
3. Korean Nut Rice: A simple Korean twist to the Nut-rice recipe would be using fragrant jasmine rice tossed with garlic butter, chopped scallions and toasted macadamia nuts.
4. Peanut Butter Rice: An exceptionally delicious variation of nut rice in which a creamy peanut butter sauce is made with a hint of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and garlic powder with cooked diced chicken added to it. Pre-cooked rice is incorporated well into this to create an extremely flavorsome, delicacy which can be finished with a garnish of some fresh crushed peanuts and greens.
Nutritional Enhancements These nut-rice recipes are a good source of protein, instant energy and certain healthy fats too (depending upon the nuts used). Some nuts provide an efficient source of Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and minerals like Phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc etc. Further nutritional enhancement is possible by • The addition of some more greens like kale, collard, spinach etc. to the above recipes which act as a source of Vitamin K, folate, iron and fibre too. Optionally a fresh crunchy green salad may also be served alongside the nut rice. • Providing a Hawaiian touch by the addition of pineapple or orange pieces that would help increase the Vitamin C content and deliver antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. • Additionally brown rice or wild rice may be used in place of white rice in these recipes to make the dish more nutritious.