Brown Rice Recipes
Making brown rice a healthy and interesting alternative to white rice and pasta
Brown rice tends to be the poorer relation of white rice, it takes longer to cook and for most doesn’t taste as good. I much prefer brown rice, I know it is better for me to eat and is certainly worth the wait in cooking. Simply soak the rice in cold water, drain it and cook it when you have a spare moment if you know time will not be on your side later in the day.
There are plenty of ways to make brown rice more interesting, when you cook it try adding some flavour to the cooking water. From time to time I will use cloves, lemongrass, chilli, ginger, cardamom, bay, thyme, mint etc. Whatever the style of dish I am doing then I will take one of the base flavours and use that with the rice.
Here’s one I prepared earlier 
The rice was cooked with star anise and a dried chilli, onions were stir fried with raw sliced green beans in a hot wok along with some chilli and ginger. In went some peeled tiger prawns, spring onions and beansprouts. A good dose of light soy sauce flavoured the prawns and once they had just turned pink the hot brown rice went in.
Cracked sechuan pepper and freshly chopped coriander went in at the end and after four minutes I was sat eating a la Chinese!
King Prawn Fried Rice
Miles,
That looks very tasty. I too prefer brown to white rice. I like its nutty, crunchy taste and it feels less like eating stodge. I wonder if there are areas in India where brown rice is used more than white or if it is a question of recipes?
I have noted your recipe, thank you
Anne
July 25, 2009 @ 2:03 pm
Another scrumptious recipe, Miles! And so easy and quick too! Great for those of us who have to commute long hours to our mortgage-paying jobs!
Indeed there is a world of rice out there beyond white “converted” rice (was it saved too?).
My everyday favorite is authentic basmati (vice the modern engineered varities) - probably for its ease in cooking - like cacti - its really difficult to “kill” a pot of basmati.
I am also enamored of the Himalayan red and purple rices and of course East Asian black “forbidden” rice. Because the flavor of these rices is too strong for most people, I will often prepare them in a mix with basmati - not unlike how other wild rices are used. The result is a nutty mix that is palatable to most people. Multicolored rice dishes can be conversation starters as well. . . .
(BTW, Silk Road Gourmet is out and available at B&N and Amazon now. Many thanks for your kind review of it.)
Laura
P.S. Although off topic for this post - I wanted to ask you. . . My niece is coming to your fair country to attend university and we wanted to give her a “survival pack” type of gift. What are essentials for an 18yr old in London? (Please keep it clean ;>)
July 25, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
I’m just about to eat a dish I pinched from you - nice work fella !
Rod
July 25, 2009 @ 5:54 pm
Anne,
Brown rice is actually whole rice where only the outer husk has been removed. The rice is brown because the layers of bran are left in place hence the nutty taste you mentioned..
As for India, I cannot say with any authority but I would imagine price will dictate which type of rice most Indians will use.
Miles
July 25, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
Laura,
Thank you, it was intended to be quick and easy because it’s what I cook at home and after a seventy hour week in a couple of professional kitchens you can understand why!
You are quite right, there are so many more favourable options to white rice avaliable if we just search them out.
I keep looking out for your book, can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
As for your niece coming to London well that’s tricky. My first thought was a $50,000 a month living allowance which should cover the tax burden imposed on us by this labour government (can you tell I’m not a fan of theirs!) otherwise it depends what she’s into. Most museums are now free, a tube or bus pass would be very handy. If she gets homesick then consider some treats from the US, you don’t tend to see a lot of food from the States other than the obvious over here. I’d get her the Rough Guide to London book because they tend to tell it how it is and she needs to know the areas to avoid, If she ever needs any advice then give her my email, I’ll gladly help her if I can.
Miles
July 25, 2009 @ 10:06 pm
Thanks Miles!
That is so incredibly nice of you to answer and offer so!
The tube pass and a phone card are definitely going on the list! I thought of a British to American dictionary or a guide to Brit slang as a funny addition. Of all things she is going in for photography and film . . . (would you like to supersize those fries, sir?) . . . Hopefully all will work out fine.
Thanks!
July 26, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
Laura,
Don’t worry, all the British kids try and talk like American sit com stars so she should understand them alright
Sounds like a great course, wonder if they take mature students!!
I’m sure she will love her time here.
Miles
July 26, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
Miles,
For someone who doesn’t eat any wheat, rice is a staple for me. I just had brown rice with roasted vegetables for dinner. I always cook rice the same no matter what type — wild, brown or some exotic version. Two parts liquid (usually some form of broth) to one part rice. I rinse my rice prior to cooking, but never soak it. Fifty minutes of cook time. I often mix whatever small amounts of different rices I have left, whether brown, basmati, forbidden or whatever. It makes for a nice confetti-type side dish.
Your meal looks wonderful and as I usually do when I visit your blog, I’m taking seasoning notes! What rice dish to you use the bay and thyme with?
Thanks, Miles!
Melissa
Laura — my daughter went to college in London and then on to Glasgow when she was around your niece’s age. I think she spent a good deal of her free time at either record stores or the Camden Market. Shopping became her “major.” She loved it!
July 27, 2009 @ 3:23 am
Melissa,
I use herbs to flavour the rice if it’s going with something like a braised meat dish, something wintery. A bay leaf does wonders!
Miles
July 27, 2009 @ 7:21 am