RICE IS A STAPLE WITHOUT which no Filipino meal would be complete. We eat it morning, noon and night, never tiring of the neutral flavor that goes well with savory Filipino dishes such as adobo, kare-kare and sinigang.
Although we love rice in its plainest form, there are ways to jazz it up and make it into a dish complete unto itself. In some countries where the staple is bread, rice is sometimes served as a salad.
Here?s a rice salad. Spiced with balsamic vinegar, cumin, cardamom, turmeric and garlic, and sweetened lightly with raisins and a touch of sugar, it?s a refreshing dish during these hot summer months. Even those who are not fond of curry will like this dish because it?s not as pungent as the usual curry dishes.
The recipe is only one of the many that are featured in my latest cookbook titled ?The Recipes I Love.? The book contains 60 of my favorite dishes which I cook for family and friends. Published by Anvil Publishing, with beautiful pictures styled by Theo Zaragoza and photographed by Diego José, the book makes a great gift not just for moms who like to cook but also for those wanting to learn how to cook. The recipes are easy to follow and have all been kitchen-tested and tasted.
?The Recipes I Love? is available at National Book Store and Powerbooks (if you don?t see it on the display rack, it may be stacked somewhere else so ask the salesgirls).
Curried Rice and Apple Salad
For the dressing:
? c olive oil
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
? tsp cumin
? tsp chili powder
? tsp cardamom powder
? tsp turmeric
1 tbsp white sugar
For the salad:
3 c cooked long grain rice
1 large apple, cut into bite-size pieces
? cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
? c raisins
1/3 c chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
To serve:
Fruit chutney, optional
Make the dressing:
Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar. Shake well to blend. Set aside.
Make the salad:
In a large bowl, toss together rice, apples, cucumbers, onions, raisins and coriander. Pour in dressing and season with salt. Toss to coat all ingredients evenly. Makes a light one-dish meal. If desired, serve with a fruit chutney. This also makes a great accompaniment to grilled or roasted meat or fish.
*This recipe also appeared in my e-cookbook, ?Eat Rich Quick,? available on I-Tunes. To download on your I-phone or Ipod-touch, see URL: http://itunes.apple.com/Web Objects/MZStore.woa/wa/view Software?id>306574739&mt>8
Tips
It?s best to use cold rice for this recipe. Freshly cooked hot rice tends to be too sticky and may be difficult to mix with the other ingredients.
However, make sure the rice is not stale. Cook the rice the night before or a day before making this salad. Keep the rice in the refrigerator until you?re ready to use it.
Instead of raisins, substitute dried apricots. Cut into bite-size pieces before tossing with the salad.
