Indonesian Spiced Rice

Have you had the opportunity to sample one of the Operation Rice Bowl recipes from Haiti or Kenya highlighted in FFF last month? My husband and I enjoyed preparing a number of them and also created the spiced rice shared today from another of ORB’s featured countries for this year — Indonesia.

The cinnamon in this recipe presented a sweet, alluring flavor that is unexpected in a simple rice dish while the tumeric, of course, turned it a tempting yellow color. It’s definitely a winning combination as far as I’m concerned! CJK

  

Indonesian Spiced Rice

(Operation Rice Bowl)

3 tbsp. oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers*

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked

2 14-oz. cans vegetable broth

1/3 cup water

1 bay leaf

2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and jalapenos to the oil; stir-fry until onion is translucent. Add turmeric and cinnamon and mix in. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add vegetable broth, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

A note from Carol: I like to prepare a recipe “by the book” the first time and then do my own thing if I prepare it again. My instincts told me (even while reading the recipe) that this was way too much jalapeno pepper for my taste — and indeed it was! My husband, who puts Tabasco sauce or crushed red peppers on nearly everything he eats, thought the result was just fine. For families who do not normally eat a large quantity of hot peppers* with each meal, I recommend substituting a green or red bell pepper for the jalapenos.

A woman tends a rice field in West Timor, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Operation Rice Bowl)