Black Rice Salad

Black Rice Salad

Black rice has been labeled as a Super food. It is delicious, and has a slightly nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. However, it is higher in fiber than brown rice, and it is lower in calories, with a high nutrient content, mainly in iron. It can be found in big supermarkets, as it became trendy to use a year or two ago in Australia. Otherwise you can find black rice in the Asian supermarket.  It known as Forbidden Rice, and in ancient China, it was a delicacy to the Chinese royalty.  This recipe is adapted from Good Chef Bad Chef's Zoe's Black Rice Recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup of black rice, uncooked or 3 cups cooked

1 block of firm tofu, in cubes

1 tbsp peanut oil

1/2 bag of bean shoots

1/4 Asian cabbage (Wombok), finely shreadded

1 bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

2-3 spring onions, bias/diagonally sliced

2 red chili, to taste, bias/diagonally sliced

1 capsicum, thinly sliced or diced

1/2 ginger knob, grated on micro-plain

1 lime, juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

Other ingredients that can be added/substituted:

Mushrooms

Green beans

Peas 

Carrot, grated or bias/diagonally sliced

Broccoli/cauliflower trees, blanched

Asian leafy greens (Bok choy, Choy sum, Pak choy), shredded and blanched 

Cucumber, bias/diagonally sliced

Radish, finely sliced

Corn, dry fried, kernels removed

Method

1) Cook the rice as per instructions. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer rice to a large mixing/serving bowl.

2) Heat the peanut oil to a medium-high temperature. Fry the cubes of tofu until golden. 

3) Add in the bean shoots, Asian cabbage (Wombok), coriander leaves, spring onions, chili, capsicum, and ginger.

4) Squeeze over the lime juice, sprinkle over the soy sauce and sesame seed oil.

5) Toss all of the ingredients until well combined.