Not-Too-Dirty Rice Recipe

Dirty Rice is a traditional Cajun dish that gets its “dirtiness” from chopped-up pieces of liver. Not Too Dirty Rice is a plant-based version of dirty rice by Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, where his recipe appears.  In his vegan version, seitan and tempeh is used as a substitute for liver. 

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain brown rice, soaked in water overnight

8 ounces seitan, chopped finely

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced red onion

1 cup diced green bell pepper

1 celery stalk, peeled of string fibers and chopped finely

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons tamari

¼ pound tempeh (half 8-ounce package) crumbled

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 ¼ cups vegetable stock

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Freshly ground white pepper

• Drain the rice and set aside.

• In a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, squeeze the seitan of its moisture and set aside.

• In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, celery, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper and tamari and saute’, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the seitan, tempeh, garlic and reserved rice and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

• Add the stock to the saucepan and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any solids. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 50 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. 

• Remove from heat and steam with cover on for at least 10 minutes.

• Stir in the parsley. Season with white pepper and tamari to taste and serve hot.

Bryant Terry -  Artist, Publisher, Author 

Bryant has received many awards including the James Beard Award and the prestigious Art of Eating Prize, awarded annually to the best book about food each year. His award was for his cookbook Black Food.