A version of this dish is a staple in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. When we go there for barbecue on Sunday nights, we always have this delicious mushroom-y rice that she made using leftover Shabbat rice (Syrians make a lot of rice). I decided to duplicate this dish in a non-leftovers way and used brown rice to make it a little healthier. You can try it with your favorite kind of rice.
This makes a great vegan lunch for Meatless Mondays, or a dish for the vegetarians joining you for for bbq.
This method makes the rice really taste like mushrooms, so if you’re not into that flavor, I suggest skipping over this recipe (or making it for a friend but not eating it yourself). I happen to love the way the mushrooms flavor the rice and I especially like the texture of the mushrooms after cooking with the rice for 50 minutes.
Mushroom rice
Ingredients:
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped or sliced thinly
- 8 ounces mushrooms (I used a combination of baby bellos and button), sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Add one tablespoon oil to a medium pot and turn heat to medium.
2. Add garlic, onions and a pinch of salt to the oil and saute until the onions are softened.
3. Add a pinch of salt again and the mushrooms. Turn the heat to high and saute until the mushrooms darken.
4. Add some salt and pepper and the rest of the olive oil.
5. Add the rice and the water, stir to combine.
6. When the water boils, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 50 minutes (20 minutes if using white rice).
7. Fluff rice with a fork and taste, add salt and pepper if needed.
