A single-dish meal that will surprise you for its fragrance and delicacy: black rice with tempeh and carrots confit.
Spring, buds and shoots bloom, the air becomes sweeter, and you also crave some warm dishes like this black rice with tempeh and carrots confit.
I’m a supporter of black rice; I use it very often in my recipes. I like it because it is fragrant with a freshly-baked-bread aroma, it has rounded ebony-colored grains that remain intact. The beautiful color is due to anthocyanins and polyphenols with antioxidant properties. Venere black rice is an excellent source of B vitamins. According to research from the University of Louisiana, Venere rice would contain more antioxidants than blueberries.
In this recipe I wanted to combine black rice with carrots because they are the protagonists today of the monthly “herbs and flowers on the plate” feature that I run with friends.
At the bottom of the page you’ll also find their recipes.
Carrots, as mentioned, so let’s talk about the most beloved root in the kitchen.
Thousands of years ago, violet carrots were actually the only carrots known.
Carrot cultivation in Afghanistan dates back about 5,000 years. It arrived in Europe in the 12th century and later, in the 16th century in the Netherlands, experiments were made to produce orange carrots in honor of the House of Orange.
And from then on it was love at first sight not only for Bugs Bunny!
I’ll leave you a few other carrot recipes among my most searched, because carrots go well with practically any other ingredient.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cup Venere black rice (whole grain) (whole grain)
- 1 spring onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 tbsp rice malt (rice syrup)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3.5 oz tempeh
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 4 asparagus (steamed)
- 1 tbsp alfalfa sprouts
- 1 pinch lemon juice
Tools
- 1 Ring mold
- 1 Jar
Steps
Cut the tempeh into cubes and let it marinate with the soy sauce, the ginger, and 1 tablespoon of oil for about an hour.
Meanwhile, wash the black rice well and cook it in three parts water — for 1 cup (about 200 g) of rice you need about 2½–2¾ cups of water. Put the rice in lightly salted water, bring to a boil, lower the heat to the minimum and simmer covered until all the water is absorbed. Check the grain for doneness and, if necessary, add a little more water. It takes about 40 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, peel the carrots, cut them into cubes, and cook them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a little water, covered. Halfway through cooking add 1 tbsp of rice malt and finish cooking until the carrots caramelize.
In another pan pour a little oil, add the chopped spring onion and gently sweat it. Add the rice and let it absorb the flavors, then add the tempeh with the marinade sauce. Stir-fry everything, add the carrots, and, with the heat off, add the lemon juice which helps fix the iron present in black rice.
Plate the dishes and place the ring mold; pour one quarter of the rice into it, pressing down slightly with the back of a spoon. Do the same for the four portions.
Garnish with steamed asparagus and alfalfa sprouts.
Daniela’s tips
Store the black rice with tempeh and carrots confit in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
You can change the garnish vegetables according to the season. You can mix tofu instead of tempeh. In summer you can use cherry tomatoes instead of the carrots.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Which grain can I use if I don’t have black rice?
For this recipe you can alternatively use Apollo rice, an Italian long-grain rice, which you can also find whole grain.
The same recipe is also very tasty with red rice, or with buckwheat.As an alternative to absorption cooking, how can I cook black rice?
You can cook black rice in a pressure cooker. After placing it in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the rice under cold running water.
Place it in the pressure cooker and add a quantity of water equal to two and a half times the volume of the rice. Once the pot is closed with the lid, turn on the heat.
When the pressure cooker starts to whistle, lower the heat to minimum and calculate 20-25 minutes of cooking. Then, drain the rice.Can I use other kinds of sprouts?
On my blog you’ll find everything about how to grow sprouts at home, so you can use various types.
