In New Orleans, they serve ‘dirty’ rice with just about everything. What makes it ‘dirty’ is that it’s cooked with chicken livers to give it both taste and a grimy colour. Well, never ones to be beaten, here’s a good veggie version with kidney beans to help you get down and dirty.
Ingredients
- 350g long-grain rice
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 litres vegetable stock, hot
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 x 400g cans kidney beans in water, drained and rinsed
- Small handful chopped fresh coriander
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 150g okra, blanched
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Pinch of smoked paprika
Method
- 1. Put the rice, cumin and stock in a large saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is just cooked and most of the stock has been absorbed.
- 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not coloured.
- 3. Take the cooked rice off the heat, add the onion mixture and all the remaining ingredients and mix together well. Season to taste.
- 4. Divide the ‘dirty rice’ between serving plates and serve with a hot Jamaican sauce and soft-boiled eggs, if you like.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 590kcals, 9.4g fat (1.5g saturated), 25.5g protein, 112.3g carbs, 7.6g sugar, 0.8g salt
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: Some lovely earthy flavours here – so marry them with a no-nonsense red with a sweetly ripe fruit flavour. A Californian Merlot will continue the American theme.