Peanuts & Brown Rice with Asian Dressing



Peanuts & Brown Rice 3


Synonymous with memories of back home, games, circus,  picnics, cocktail  & rainy day snacks and, of course, peanut butter sandwiches now, peanuts are an all time favorite among us.


Peanuts are however not true nuts, as most of you might know. The “Nut” is a  member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans. Being a legume, the peanuts contain high amount of protein. A lot of peanuts, some chewy, nutty brown rice & some veggies have been tossed together here for a quick, crunchy salad.  It looks like an Asian Fried Rice, I must say almost tastes like one, but there is no frying here.

When Foodbuzz sent a coupon code of $30 for the Asian Grocers, I could not pass a chance to use that up.  The online store has a lot of Asian delicacies to choose from, not just food but pretty plates, bowls , chopsticks etc  (I ordered quite a few things from this section & the serving bowls & dishes here are from the Asian Grocers).  I also got a 4.5 lb bag of short grained brown rice. The service was very prompt & I received my order in less than a week. Thank you Foodbuzz & Asian Grocers.


Brown Rice


Since we have turned to using a lot of brown rice in our daily meals now, I used up the rice to make this quick & healthy Peanuts & Rice Toss Salad. It makes a nice & quick meal in a bowl.


Peanuts & Brown Rice 2



Peanuts & Rice with Asian Dressing


Ingredients: (serves 2, as a meal)

  1. 1 Cup Short Grained Brown Rice
  2. 1.5 Cups Water
  3. 1.5 Cups Peanuts
  4. 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced
  5. 1 Large Carrot, diced
  6. Few Hot Chilli Peppers, thinly sliced
  7. 4-5 Stalks of Scallions, thinly sliced – Whites & the Greens
  8. 1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
  9. 1 Teaspoon Oil
  10. Fresh Lime

Other interesting vegetables to use, & use as much as you please: Corn, Baby Corn, Snow Peas, Broccoli, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Mung Sprouts, Tofu & whatever you want!! This is the kind of dish which changes taste, texture & flavor by the vegetables you are using; don’t be afraid…


For the Dressing:

  1. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional – only if you want it spicy)
  2. 1″ Ginger grated, & the juice extracted (Save the Juice, discard the fiber)
  3. 1 Full Tablespoon Sesame Oil
  4. 1 Tablespoon Lite Soy Sauce
  5. 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
  6. Hot Sauce, any kind like Sriracha ( To Taste/Optional)
  7. 1 Tablespoon Roasted Sesame Seeds, muddled with a rolling pin or mortar & pestle
  8. 1 Short Stalk of Lemon Grass – about 2 inches of the tender part, sliced & muddled well
  9. Salt



Preparation:


Cook the rice as per the instructions (of whatever kind of rice you are using). I used 1.5 cups of water + 1 cup of rice + Salt to taste & cooked it in the rice cooker. Keep in mind tho’ that the rice should not be soft & mushy. This is like a salad, so it tastes best if the rice remains separate & slightly chewy & crunchy.

When done cooking, fluff the rice with a fork & cool to about room temp, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place skillet with 1 teaspoon of oil over high heat. Add the diced onions, bell peppers & carrots. Stir fry for a couple of minutes only. Do not overcook. The vegetables need to stay crunchy. Take them off the heat & set aside.

If you are not using ready made roasted peanuts: Heat a skillet big enough to hold the peanuts in a single layer; add peanuts; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to brown. Take it off the heat & set aside.

Whisk all the ingredients of the dressing together.

Toss the stir fried vegetables, scallions, hot chilli peppers, & peanuts with the cooked rice. Add the dressing & toss well. Finish it off with a generous squeeze of lime.



Peanuts & Brown Rice 4


We ate ours as a meal. But this is perfect as a side salad too. Loved the various distinctive texture that dish had to offer. The crunchy peanuts, the very nutty & chewy brown rice with almost raw veggies blended together really well. You may make this another dish all together by changing the dressing & the kind of vegetables you use.


Peanuts & Brown Rice 1


Sending this to Susan’s (The Well Seasoned Cook) MLLA #16, hosted by Jeanne at Cook Sister.


Related Posts:

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Jewel Salad

Kisir: Turkish Tabbouleh


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