Thai Japonica Rice Salad

Author: Barb Dyess

When our children were young, a major part of the way we fed our family revolved around a natural foods cooperative group, sponsored by our local church. Once a month we ordered from a list of natural foods, then swapped information on everything from amaranth grain to zebra-striped beans. When our order arrived the following month, we spent hours unloading a refrigerated truck and distributing the natural foods.

Some of my best memories are of my co-op buddies and their kids: we cried, we laughed, and we shared each other’s lives for eight years. We were forever searching for ways to introduce whole grain foods and other naturally grown foods to our families.

On one summer day, in particular, several of us co-op moms decided to venture into the big city and check out other possible suppliers. In our travels that day, we ended up at a huge natural foods market and deli, and decided to eat lunch there. We decided to split up several new dishes to share amongst ourselves. One of the dishes was an instant hit: a spicy, yet sweet, black rice salad that immediately tickled my taste buds. I was fascinated by the flavor and texture of it.

When I asked the deli worker if she could tell me the recipe, I was informed the recipe could not be shared. Before I had a chance to get too disappointed, the other co-op moms told me to check the ingredients label on the deli container lid. To my surprise, every ingredient in this wonderful dish was listed on the lid.

The ingredients were listed in the order of their quantity, so I saved the label and took it home—determined to copy that black rice salad.

Back in my kitchen, I experimented a few times before getting a version that we all liked. Though my kids will eat it as long as I’m careful to go easy on the “heat,” the biggest fans are adults. I can’t count the times I’ve taken this black rice salad dish to luncheons only to have adults rave over it and ask for the recipe. It’s truly different and delicious!

Thai Rice Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Black Japonica rice (makes 4 c. cooked) OR Lundberg’s Mahogany Rice mix
1 med. red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 med. green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced fine
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
4-6 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4-6 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
4-6 tablespoon brown rice syrup
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder or ground Thai pepper

Instructions

Cook rice in 3 cups water about 50 min. until soft but chewy. Drain well and let cool.
Stir chopped peppers, onion and garlic into rice.
Add tamari, oil, syrup and cayenne, adjusting to how hot or sweet you prefer.
Toss cashews through before serving to keep them crunchy.
Best if refrigerated for 1 to 3 hours before serving, but also good at room temperature.
Keeps for 3 to 4 days in refrigerator.

Thai food is generally an interesting balance of spicy-sweet, and this rice salad definitely fits that description, with “crunchy” and “chewy” texture thrown in as well. It makes a great, nutritious, low-cal dish and only improves with time, as the nutty flavors mellow.

But beware! The cayenne is not strong until it sits for a while—wait and taste again before adding more cayenne!

Note: Japonica rice can be hard to find, but you can substitute it for mahogany rice...which works great!

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