I’m often asked what my most comforting meal is, of which there are many, and rice always makes it into the top five. Yes, I find comfort in the way it tastes, but it’s also the aroma of rice cooking – that distinct smell of home, which is equal parts sweet and savoury – that warms me up from the inside out. If I’m hungry but short on time, I often make a steaming pot of rice, stir through some butter and cheese and not much else, and still relish every bite. When time is on my side, however, I’ll give rice a more superstar treatment: from porridge to pilaf to fritter, here are just three of the many ways to cook with one of my favourite ingredients.
Jook with garlicky choi sum and turmeric oil (pictured top)
This Chinese-style rice porridge, also known as congee, makes for the most indulgent and comforting of meals, and works as well for breakfast as it does for supper. All the elements can be made a day ahead; just add a splash of water to loosen the rice when reheating.
Prep 25 min
Soak 30 min+
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
180g jasmine rice
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
Salt and black pepper
50g shop-bought crispy fried onions
For the turmeric oil
90ml olive oil
15g white sesame seeds
15g black sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, peeled
15g fresh turmeric, peeled and finely grated (wear gloves or your fingers will get stained orange)
1½ tsp chilli flakes
45g spring onions, trimmed and cut into thin rounds
For the choi sum
2 tbsp olive oil
600g choi sum, trimmed, stalks cut at an angle into 1cm lengths, leaves roughly torn
4 garlic cloves
For the sweet soy dressing
60ml soy sauce
75ml maple syrup
1 star anise
Put the rice in a large, heatproof bowl, cover with 1.3 litres of just-boiled water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Once soaked, use your hands gently to crush the rice in its water, until it’s roughly broken up.
Put the oil, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry, stirring frequently, for two to three minutes, until fragrant but not coloured. Pour in the rice and its soaking water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down low, cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for 25 minutes, until thick and glossy, then take off the heat and set aside for five minutes.
Meanwhile, make the turmeric oil. Put the oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, add all the sesame seeds and cook for two to three minutes, until the white sesame seeds are golden. Stir in the garlic and turmeric, cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then stir in the chilli flakes, spring onions, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and take off the heat.
To make the choi sum, set a large saute pan on a high heat. Once it’s smoking, add the olive oil and choi sum stalks, and cook, stirring, for one or two minutes. Take the pan off the heat and turn down the heat to medium. Stir the garlic into the pan, return it to the heat and cook for a minute, until fragrant. Stir in the torn choi sum leaves until slightly wilted, then tip into a bowl.
For the sweet soy sauce, return the saute pan to a medium-high heat, add the soy, maple syrup, star anise and 60ml water, and cook for two to three minutes, until bubbling. Take off the heat, remove and discard the star anise, then set aside.
Divide the rice porridge between four bowls. Arrange some choi sum on top and drizzle a tablespoon of the sweet soy dressing over each serving. Spoon two tablespoons of turmeric oil over each bowl, and sprinkle over a teaspoon of crispy onions. Serve hot with the remaining crispy onions, oil and sweet soy on the side.
Tamarind rice with chana dal and aromatic oil
This tangy rice makes a lovely side dish. It is great alongside roast vegetables, lamb and oily fish such as mackerel and sardines. To make it even quicker, use ready-cooked rice and chana dal.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6
150g chana dal, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes (or 150g ready-cooked chana dal)
Fine sea salt
200g basmati rice, washed and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained (or 520g ready-cooked basmati rice)
3 onions (540g), peeled and thinly sliced
2½ tbsp olive oil
130g tamarind paste
For the aromatic oil
3 tbsp olive oil
7 curry leaf stems, picked, to get 5g leaves
2½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
First, drain the chana dal, put it in a medium saucepan and cover with plenty of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer on a medium-high heat, then cook for 30-40 minutes, until tender (skim off any residue that rises to the surface). Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, put the drained rice in a pan with 330ml cold water and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer on a medium-high heat, then cover, turn the heat down low, and cook for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside, still covered, for 10-15 minutes. Tip the rice on to a large tray, spread it out evenly and leave to steam-dry for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the onions, two tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt in a large saute pan on a medium heat, and cook, stirring, for 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden and caramelised. Transfer to a small bowl lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
For the aromatic oil, put the oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat and, once hot, add the curry leaves and fry for a minute or two, until deeply green and translucent. Stir in the mustard seeds, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt, cook for 30 seconds more, then take off the heat.
Next, put the saute pan on medium-high heat with the remaining teaspoon and a half of olive oil and the tamarind paste. Cook for two to three minutes, until thicken and glossy, then turn up the heat to high and quickly stir in the rice, making sure to coat it well. Add the chana dal, toss to mix, then take off the heat.
To assemble, spoon a third of the rice on to a large lipped platter. Scatter over a third of the onions and third of the aromatic oil, then repeat the layers until everything’s used up. Serve warm.
Pumpkin rice fritters with chilli soured cream
These crisp fritters are a brilliant way to use up leftover rice. Make them your own by using other roast root vegetables, cheeses and herbs.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4 as a starter
220g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1½cm cubes
1 tsp cumin seeds
100ml olive oil
Fine sea salt and black pepper
150g soured cream
1 lime, zest finely grated, to get ¼ tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tsp
½ tsp aleppo chilli
180g cooked white rice (long- or short-grain), leftover or from a ready-cooked packet
15g coriander, leaves and soft stems finely chopped
½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar
60g feta, crumbled
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (20g)
1 large egg, beaten
4 tbsp cornflour
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the pumpkin on a small baking tray, add the cumin, a tablespoon of oil and half a teaspoon of salt, then toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and cooked through, then remove and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix the soured cream, lime zest and juice, aleppo chilli and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and put to one side.
In a medium bowl, combine the rice, fresh coriander and coriander seeds, feta, spring onions, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then stir in the cooled pumpkin, egg and cornflour.
Line a large plate with absorbent kitchen paper. Put the remaining 85ml oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. Once the oil is hot, use a dinner spoon to measure out a heaped spoonful (roughly 60g) of the rice mixture, carefully drop it into the oil and press down very gently so it forms a disc. Repeat with three more spoonfuls of the rice mix and, working with four fritters at a time, leave to fry undisturbed for three and a half minutes, until the bases are deeply golden. Flip over the fritters (use a spatula in one hand and a spoon in the other to help you) and cook on the other side, again undisturbed, for three to three and a half minutes, until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to the lined plate and repeat with the remaining mixture, to make eight fritters in all.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm with the soured cream dip on the side.
