Recipe: Colorful Black Thai Rice

the appetizer:

Try vegetarian cooking with V Cuisine: The Art of New Vegan Cooking by Angeline Linardis, including recipes for Superior Spring Rolls; Colorful Black Thai Rice; and Panko-Stuffed Portobello Caps.

Cookbook

Colorful Black Thai Rice

Serves 6-8 as a meal

Cook this rice in the usual way: 2 cups (500 ml) of water to 1 cup (250 ml) of rice, but rinse the living daylights out of it first. Endless amounts of purple stuff will keep coming out of it. Rinse it well until the water runs almost clear.

2 cups (500 mL) cooked Black Thai rice
1/2 cup (125 mL) red pepper, diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) green pepper, diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) red onion, sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) carrots, grated
Rind of one orange, finely grated
Rind of one lime, finely grated
1/2 cup (125 mL) lime juice
1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

You can simply combine the above ingredients and serve it at room temperature. If you prefer to serve it hot, here's an exciting way to do it

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Buy a frozen, packaged banana leaf (large grocery stores often have them).You won't believe the size of this leaf! Thaw it, take it out, put the rice mixture inside and wrap the leaf around it.Then, wrap the entire thing in foil on a baking sheet and bake it for a good 35 minutes.

About 5 minutes before serving, remove the foil so the leaf can crisp up a bit.The rice should be hot all the way through. Put the leaf-wrapped rice on a large platter and serve by placing it in the center of the table and unwrapping it or cutting through the banana leaf It's very impressive and fun.The amazing fragrance of the rice will waft out, which will drive everyone wild! It's a great conversation starter for dinner parties.

Another beautiful way to serve rice in a banana leaf is to chop up a bunch of pineapple, mango and other tropical delights to add to the rice. Season it and bake it in the banana leaf, but then let it cool naturally. Eat it outside, under a palm tree if you're lucky enough to have one.