Bhutanese Red Rice (Kırmızı Pirinçli Butan Pilavı)












Rice, whether it's white, brown, long, short,
forbidden (black), or red, is one of my favorite dishes. Red rice with its nutty flavor has secured a good place in my heart, and as a result in my kitchen, in the last year. I usually cook it alaturka; however, this time I wanted to try a Bhutanese recipe since red rice is from Bhutan. I found the recipe online here. I only made small changes, and the Bhutanese rice turned out to be great. I served it with Turkish meatballs and they got along pretty well. From now on I'll absolutely cook red rice with this recipe.

1 cup red rice
2 tbsp butter
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup petite diced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped shitakee mushroom
1/2 tsp thyme
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 - 2 cups vegetable stock (the stock I used was salty, so I didn't use extra salt)

-Wash the rice with cold water and let it sit in warm water for an hour before you cook.
-Heat the butter in a pot, stir in onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add carrots, mushroom, and rice. Stir for another 5 minutes.
-Add vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock or water), thyme, and bay leaves. First bring to a boil, then put it in an oven dish, cover, and cook in a preheated oven at 450F for 20-30 minutes, until rice soaks the water.
-Let it sit for at least ten minutes before serving.

This recipe is for a Turkish food blogging event called "Pirinç Ye" (Eat Rice) which is hosted by Sonia of Our Beautiful House and Garden.