Short or long, white or brown, rice deserves to be treated as more than just a staple – we’ve given this super grain a glow-up with recipes that hero this storecupboard essential
Recipes NADINE BROWN
1 - Crispy rice squares with sushi-style topping
MAKES 24 SQUARES | PREP 45 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT CHILLING | COOK 55 MINS | EASY | V
250g sushi rice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar vegetable oil, for frying
TOPPINGS
100g sriracha mayo
½ a large avocado, cut into small slices ponzu seasoning
30g pickled ginger, cut into small strips
1 nori sheet, cut into 24 small squares mixed sesame seeds
1 Put the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Use your fingers to swirl the rice, then pour away the water – repeat this three times until the water is clear. Transfer to a pan with 400ml of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 mins until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 mins.
2 Fluff the rice with a fork and stir through the vinegar. Line a small rimmed baking tray with baking paper. Transfer the rice to the tray and spread with a wet silicone spatula. It should make a layer about 1cm thick – it should be thick enough to fry without falling apart. Wrap the rice and refrigerate for 3 hrs or ideally overnight.
3 Once ready, carefully lift the rice out of the tray. Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut the rice into 24 squares, wetting the knife when needed. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan until hot – if you add a single grain of rice it should immediately start to sizzle. Add six of the rice squares and cook for 4-5 mins on each side or until deeply golden and crisp, being careful when flipping them over – the moisture in the rice makes the oil spit so be careful. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, blotting any excess oil with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining rice squares, adding more oil when needed.
4 To assemble, smear a little sriracha mayo on each square followed by a few slices of avocado. Sprinkle over a little of the ponzu seasoning followed by a few small strips of ginger, a piece of nori, extra sriracha mayo and a sprinkling of seeds.
PER SERVING 69 kcals | fat 3.6G saturates 0.4G | carbs 8G | sugars 1.3G fibre 0.6G | protein 0.8G | salt 0.3G
2 - Dirty chai rice pudding
SERVES 4 | PREP 10 MINS COOK 50 MINS | EASY | GF
750ml whole milk 125g pudding rice 130g golden caster sugar 1 vanilla pod
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp ground allspice
175ml double cream
120ml freshly brewed espresso
1 Put the milk and rice in a medium pan and add 30g of s
