If you’re looking for easy vegetarian recipes, this black rice bowl with mushrooms is the epitome of good food that’s also rather good for you.
Startlingly-simple to assemble, this dish stars an ensemble cast mainlining with a superfood whole grain (black rice), fork-tender mushrooms, protein (tofu) and good fats (hello avocado), bound together by an umami-rich tahini miso and ginger dressing.
The beauty of this vegetarian recipe relies on the provenance and freshness of the ingredients with exotic mushrooms, Hass avocados and homemade tofu sourced from Enzu.life, a new portal dedicated to conscious consumption.
Then, there are the unsung heroes which prop up the dish with a baseline hum of flavours. Baby Bella and King Oyster shrooms are stir-fried in garlic-infused ghee from Provedic Dairy. Not only does ghee naturally have a higher smoke point compared to other conventional cooking oils, but it also brings a multitude of holistic health benefits to the table, as well as imparting a natural butteriness to the ‘shrooms!
While you can assemble the bowl with any grain of your choice (brown rice and quinoa being worthy options too) – I’d recommend black rice for its richly-roasted texture with a nutty undertone that pairs perfectly with the meatiness of the mushrooms. In an added bonus, black rice also happens to packed with antioxidants, specifically anthocyanin which is proven to possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
This grain bowl is a riot of flavours and textures in itself, but if you want to up the ante even more, I’ve included a quick recipe below for a tahini-miso-ginger dressing thats stitches everything together with a zinging kick of umami!
Black Rice Bowl With Mushrooms
Ingredients
- ½ – ¾ cup black rice
For the Mushrooms
- 140 gm mixed mushrooms of choice, sliced (I use Baby Bella & King Oyster mushrooms from Enzu.life)
- 1 – 2 tsp ghee (I used garlic-infused ghee from Provedic Dairy)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
Accompaniments:
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 1 block of silken-firm or extra-firm tofu
- cornflour for dusting
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 – 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce (I use Ginger Teriyaki sauce from Sprig Gourmet)
- Togarashi powder (optional)
Tahini Miso Ginger Dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- ½ tsp (+ a pinch more) miso
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup water (+ more as needed)
Instructions
Prepare the rice:
- Rinse the rice well and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Set aside.
Prepare the tofu:
- Drain the excess water out of the tofu by wrapping the block between paper towels and then gently pressing down to release the water using a steel plate or even a wooden chopping board.
Cook the mushrooms:
- Add 1-2 tsp ghee/ cooking oil of choice to a hot pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan so that the ghee spreads evenly. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms and stir often, sautéing until the mushrooms have browned and softened with a tender texture. You’ll know they have cooked once the mushrooms release their earthy aroma.
- Add minced garlic and ginger to the mushrooms, continuing to sauté the mushrooms for a few more minutes.
- Add the black rice to the pan, along with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 4 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp mirin. Stir the mushrooms into the rice so that they are evenly spread through the rice and cook for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust flavours as you’d like, for instance adding a bit more soy sauce for an umami depth or mirin for a subtle sweetness. Remove from heat.
Cook the tofu
- Cut the tofu into cubes or long rectangular strips and coat it with cornflour.
- Head a tbsp of sesame oil in a skillet and pan-fry the tofu for 7 – 10 minutes , flipping the pieces over until they’ve lightly browned on both sides.
- Add 1 tbsp of Teriyaki sauce to the skillet and toss the tofu until the pieces are evenly coated and glazed with the sauce. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate lined with sheets of kitchen roll.
Prepare the tahini miso ginger dressing
- Mix together the tahini, miso, grated ginger, garlic, mirin and sesame oil. Slowly stir in water (adding it by the spoonful) until the dressing comes together with a creamy, pourable consistency.
- Taste and adjust flavour as you’d like, adding more miso for umami, mirin for a sweet tang or garlic/ ginger for a kick. You can also add a touch of honey if you’d like to amp up the sweetness.
Assemble the bowl
- Arrange the black rice and mushroom stir-fry across two serving bowls. Add thin slices of avocado, sprinkled with togarashi powder, as well as the stir-fried tofu pieces. Serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
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