When it comes food staplesRice is my number one ingredient always have in hand. Growing up, there was never a question of whether there would be a pot of rice at dinner. But mixed rice? It’s an upgrade I never knew I needed. Until now, of course.
Many nights, at the end of dinner, with a little celebration and a little flair, my dad would bring a fresh pot of rice to the table to eat with the remaining plates of dal or sabzis on our plates. And while I love rice as an accompaniment, I even love it as my main meal.
One of my weekday dinners is mattar rice. Basically, peas in rice. We ate it growing up on lazy dinner nights with a large spoonful of yogurt in between. In fact, it’s such a favorite that I’ve been known to eat cold leftovers and take them straight out of the fridge. (I said what I said.)
While I was eating leftovers a few weeks ago, I decided to get a little creative in turning it into a full meal by frying an egg to put on top. And then I want something soaked. And then I thought some fresh herbs would be great. From there, the upper layer did not stop. Everything on my plate came together so well, that I made the same thing for dinner every night for a week.
This is a fake salad with lots of vegetables and tons of fresh herbs. Rice, eggs and butter keep it hearty and packed with protein. And the zingy help of lemon and ACV just tied it all together. This rice salad is my new favorite. And it’s about to be yours too.
Why is mixed rice? the best salad
Maybe I’m being liberal with the definition of a “salad” here. But rice salad in fact, quite a thing. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in the Midwest for so long, but I’ve become a huge fan of wild rice salad in the fall, with grilled vegetables and cranberries. But in the spring, I want something fresh and I want it to taste vibrant. This salad? Check each box.
How to cook rice for your salad
I used jeera rice (dill rice) as the base for my salad. All you have to do is toast a few fennel seeds briefly in buttermilk on a pan, then add the washed rice grains. I grew up with basmati rice, my favorite fragrant rice. But you can choose another type of rice if needed.
Quickly toast the rice in ghee and cumin for an extra delicious taste. Then you add water. I usually mix rice water in a ratio of 2: 1, add a little water. When it boils, reduce heat and cover until done. Trust me, I burned more than my fair share of jars of rice, but this recipe works for me.
Let the rice cool a bit before serving, but once the rice is done, you’re ready to gather!
How to make the perfect soft-boiled egg (along with the easiest way to peel!)
Eggs are another part of this salad that makes it hearty and filling. I like a soft, pliable egg because of the good yolk and flavor. What I don’t love is peeling them off. I always butcher them and end up just having unsightly cracks and crevices. But recently, I discovered a method that really works.
Eric Kim recently posted on Instagram about a method he uses to peel hard-boiled eggs with ease. Of course, I had to try it right away. You basically put cold eggs in already boiling water, I do this with a slotted spoon and let them boil. I let me go for about six minutes. Then use a spatula to gently tap each egg so that the shell doesn’t crack but the egg is still intact. Just gently tap elsewhere until the shell looks like “snake skin”.
This method allows the hot water to penetrate the shells and make the egg whites slightly astringent. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to peel your eggs! I’m a huge fan of this method and once you try it you’ll be making hard-boiled eggs in no time.
The secret ingredient of this salad? Quick pickled chives.
The first star that really puts everything together in this salad is the pickled shallots. I make a jar at the beginning of the week and use them to top up bowls, eggs, salads, and toast. It adds a nice luminosity and an addictive slightly tart sweetness. I don’t use an exact recipe for pickled onions but will expand this version up or down depending on how many chives I have around.
When combined with shallots, the other ingredients will sing. Crispy cucumbers add freshness, peas add sweetness, chili oil adds a splash of heat, and fresh herbs add flavor.
I usually coat everything with a large squeeze of lemon to keep the skin light and not sink in the clothes. But this is your salad—and you can add whatever you want.
