Tag: rice

Egged On

Does anyone else have definitively different algorithms across platforms? Facebook seems to think I’m a complete Japanophile, never failing to remind me about sakura season and tips for packing bento boxes, while Instagram (though also owned by Facebook) feeds me a steady diet of gloom, doom, and horrid AI atrocities.

Though it’s been quite some time since I last visited Japan and have little hope of returning anytime soon, you can guess where I’d rather waste my time. Indulging in a bit of mindless scrolling before bed, I came across a very unremarkable video, no longer than 10 seconds at most, highlighting one more piece of evidence that “Japan is living in 2050.” Lo and behold, shelf stable packets of tamago kake sauce to squeeze over rice. Astounding.

Flipping through countless similar, forgettable contributions to this digital wasteland, I quickly moved on. For some reason though, the idea stuck with me. Tamago kake gohan, the most basic dish of hot rice topped with raw egg, could still be easier to make. To me, a lover of all things vegan egg-related, I was secretly captivated. I wanted to recreate this simple pleasure but got caught up in the complications of making a spherified vegan egg yolk, which is diametrically opposed to the elementary nature of the meal. If the egg could just be sauce, since it just gets broken up and stirred into the rice anyway, that changes things.

Dozens if not hundreds of recipes for vegan yolks are floating about on the web at this point, so if mine doesn’t strike your fancy, go off on a Google adventure and take your pick. My point here is that while a perfect golden dome, capable of bursting into unctuous, eggy sauce would look more impressive at first serving, the results are the same: it’s delicious. As someone prone to overthinking, it’s exhausting chasing the best, most perfect, most beautiful, most creative of everything. Tamago kake gohan should require zero thinking.

It’s not pretty and won’t get any likes on social media. I’m okay with that. I’ll make a big batch of egg sauce and rice, pack them separately in the fridge, and have easy food all week. Plus, all you have to do is add tofu for an instant scramble, if you’re more in the mood for that. Additional toppings are optional, but recommended, especially if you eat this frequently, to prevent palate fatigue. It’s good, maybe even great, though not enough to catapult me into 2050. Thank god for that.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Pop Quiz

Standing over a gently simmering pot of basmati rice, lid slightly ajar, I was suddenly swept up by the most familiar, cozy aroma. Nutty, warm, and unmistakably nostalgic. It took me a second to place it, but once I did, there was no denying it: popcorn. The rice smelled exactly like freshly popped popcorn.

That toasty, buttery, slightly roasted perfume has a surprising overlap between the two completely unrelated ingredients, and there’s actual science behind it. The same compound responsible for popcorn’s crave-worthy scent, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP for short, is the aromatic essential in basmati rice. In fact, it’s found in everything from toasted bread to pandan leaves, but it seems to come through most clearly in the iconic long grain and exploded kernel.

Scientifically Delicious

What makes the comparison even more compelling is that their similarities don’t stop at that one molecule. Not to get too nerdy, but you science buffs out there may also recognize:

Pyrazines which bring the earthy, roasted warmth.
Furfural adds a whiff of baked bread and honey.
Hexanal and nonanal layer in fresh, fatty green notes like crushed leaves.

So naturally, I wondered, what if you brought them together?

Popcorn infused into rice, by way of rich coconut milk, borrows some of its inherent toasty, buttery notes at the same time. It’s at once cozy and nostalgic, yet still tropical and sunny. A hint of sweetness rounds it out, creating that addictive interplay with an equally subtle touch of salt.

Take a page from traditional coconut rice and serve steaming spoonfuls alongside your favorite curry, under roasted vegetables, or all on its own. Like every good bowl of popcorn, it’s dangerously easy to finish the whole batch in one sitting.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Pantry Gold

There are snacks, and then there are situations. Poha chivda can qualify as both. It can be methodically planned out, or like my rendition, borne of random cravings and the leftover dregs of a waning pantry. The eating experience is much the same, starting innocently with just a handful, enough to tide you over until the next meal. Five minutes later, half the jar is gone and you’re left wondering why you didn’t double the batch.

What Is Poha Chivda?

Poha chivda is a crunchy, savory Indian snack mix built on a foundation of crispy, toasted flattened rice, AKA poha. From this humble beginning, it’s all about layering in flavors with whole spices, fragrant curry leaves, nuts or seeds, and just enough heat to get your attention. Like the best recipes, it’s barely a recipe at all. There are no hard and fast rules for poha chivda, right down to the actual amounts. When in doubt, measure with your heart.

This version stays true to the core concept but plays with the fine details. Instead of the usual peanuts or cashews, I use pepitas. They toast up beautifully and add a subtle nuttiness without overpowering the mix. Shredded coconut accentuates those nutty notes while adding a subtle sweetness, balancing the earthy, citrusy aroma of fresh curry leaves. Turmeric, always and obviously, is essential. It turns everything the kind of contagious yellow that makes your fingers glow a little; a small price to pay for edible gold.

There’s No Wrong Way To Enjoy

Such small components may make it seem like anything but finger food, but I can assure you, there’s no shame in eating it by the handful. You can go in with spoons if you’d rather be more dainty, and there are many other ways to enjoy it as well:

  • Sprinkled over salads or grain bowls.
  • As a crunchy topping for creamy soups or dal.
  • On avocado toast.

It’s pantry cooking at its best: quick, adaptable, and deeply satisfying. And, like most good snacks, it barely lasts long enough to cool.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)15 Comments

Green Goddess Goodness

Few dishes embody warmth, richness, and versatility quite like risotto. Celebrated for its creamy texture and unpretentious yet indulgent nature, risotto is all too often relegated to the cold winter months. Skipping over spring flavors would be a terrible mistake, as evidenced by a vibrant, verdant bowlful of Green Tea Goddess Risotto.

Fusing classic Italian comfort with an unexpected Asian twist, brewed green tea replaces conventional vegetable stock with an herbaceous foundation. Building upon that with the fresh flavors found in Green Goddess dressing, parsley, chives, and tarragon brighten and lighten the dish in one fell swoop.

Sushi rice has long been my preferred short grain for making risotto, above the more “authentic” arborio or carnaroli. I find it to be easier and quicker to cook, not to mention much easier to find in stores and less expensive. It just so happens to fit the fusion theme, too.

Whether served as a side dish or a light entree, the end results are inevitably rewarding. Familiar yet novel, comforting and sophisticated, it’s ideal for both casual dinners and special occasions. Risotto should be a perennial option on the menu, especially when it’s this brilliant.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Parboiled and Hard Luck

It was an innocent mistake. Shopping hurriedly with one eye on the clock and the other on increasingly menacing crowds blocking the aisles, I just wanted to get in an out as quickly as possible. Having accomplished that, I discovered my folly once I was back in the safety of my home. Instead of plain, pedestrian, nothing special long grain white rice, what tumbled out of my canvas bag was a pouch of parboiled rice. Not a travesty by any means, but an oddity to be sure. Having never encountered it before, I was surprised to learn that it wasn’t the cheap, nutrient-stripped, processed food I had imagined, but in fact, an even more wholesome and robust alternative to regular white rice.

The Rice Is Right

The visual difference are subtle; easy to miss at first. Parboiled rice has a subtly translucent quality and slightly more yellow color when dry. After cooking, these differences disappear with the water they take on.

To Be Or Not To Be…

Parboiled rice is NOT the same as instant rice or quick-cooking rice. In fact, I find it takes longer to cook that standard long grain white rice; anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes simmering on the stove top, versus 12 minutes for the conventional option. This is because it’s not actually half-cooked, but soaked, steamed, and then dried before piling into packages. That makes the exterior more impervious to liquid infusion, taking longer to rehydrate, and then hold its shape better when cooked as a result. The texture turns out more toothsome and robust, with beautifully separate, discrete grains that won’t clump together.

Trust The Process

Before anyone starts decrying the “unnatural” manufacturing process to bring parboiled rice to the table, take a look at the alternative. White rice has the husk and bran stripped away, removing essential vitamins and minerals, not to mention most of the fiber and protein. Parboiled rice is steamed while still inside the husk, infusing many more of those nutrients right into the kernel, without giving you the same darker, earthier flavor of brown rice that some picky eaters find objectionable. What’s especially noteworthy about this process is that it creates resistant starch, which can act as a prebiotic, improving overall digestion.

Use Case Scenarios

At the end of the day, it’s just rice, which means it works perfectly in any recipe that you would pick long grain rice of any variety. To best leverage is unique properties that make it resistant to getting mushy, my top recommendations for uses include:

  • Fried rice – No need to let the cooked rice cool before throwing it into the wok! The starch is already gelatinized, which means it won’t continue to degrade or break apart in the pan.
  • Rice soup – While it will still continue to absorb the broth as it sits, it will do so at a much slower rate. If you cool the soup completely, add the cooked parboiled rice, and then store it in the fridge, the leftovers will reheat beautifully, without a giant ball of overcooked rice at the bottom.
  • Rice salad – Toss cooked and cooled parboiled rice with your favorite vegetables and vinaigrette, and you’ve got a picnic party stater that will keep all day, no matter the weather.
  • Stuffing – Shake up the usual wild rice affair next Thanksgiving with a crowd-pleasing parboiled rice base. In this case, it will cook much faster than the 50 to 60 minutes required for the semi-aquatic grass.

Par-Boiling Point

While I adore sticky rice, clumping together in chewy mouthfuls, the unique structure and discrete individual grains of parboiled rice turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying change of pace. Not all mistakes are bad, and this is one I’ll likely repeat on future shopping trips—albeit more intentionally.

Hannah (BitterSweet)10 Comments