Everything with Rice

Few things scream ‘welcome home’ like the smell of rice cooking wafting out of the kitchen and filling the house. The feeling the smell evokes is something like that of climbing into bed on sheets day after long, warm shower and savouring that scent of fresh linens, bath soap and moisturiser. You just breathe a sigh of relief and think, I’m home.

I guess you could say home is where the rice is!

So here is the beginning of what promises to be a very long running series, Everything with Rice!

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What better way to kick off the series than with a recipe for something that falls firms under the definition of comfort food. We could all use a little more of that these days, can’t we.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, trips to the shops were fewer and far between, and it was uncertain what we would find on the shelves. All over the internet, pantry staple recipes started popping up. Lots of stews and bean soups. I am grateful that things have somewhat settled down here, but am abundantly aware that lots of countries are still in lockdown or have gone back into lockdown. As such, I thought it wouldn’t be out of place to share something that I would very much consider a pantry staple recipe.

Black bean sauce is made from fermenting and salting black soybeans. You could make your own, but just as easily and cheaply purchased in jars at a supermarket. They can be stored at room temperature in the pantry until opened and have relatively long expiry dates. It has a salty taste and the strong flavour adds a ton of umami to your dish. It pairs well with garlic, ginger and shallots. A little bit goes a long way, so don’t overdo it!

Frozen green peas and minced chicken make up the substance of this dish. Another two ingredients that can be purchased and stored in the freezer for a relatively long time. To think that with such simple, staple ingredients, we would be able to make something so rich in flavour.

Another great thing about this dish is how versatile it is. You can switch up the vegetable to meat ratio if you have a preference either way. A great dish to squeeze in more vegetables if you feel so inclined! Depending what protein or vegetable you happen to have on hand or need using, you can also easily substitute. If using pieces of meat or a larger vegetable such as broccoli, I would just cut it into bite sized pieces so they still cook quickly together. And indeed, it does come together quickly making it a perfect weeknight meal. When you get home, make sure you put your rice on before even beginning to prepare your ingredients because you’ll be done cooking long before your rice cooker is even beeping!

Convenient, comforting and healthy. Not too much to ask, and something we could all do with right about now!