It was a Friday evening and we were expected to have a few friends over. I am not vegan, but one of the friends we were expecting happens to be vegan and that was what got me thinking.
Rice is a staple in my household, any type; white rice, jollof rice, fried rice and many other variations. From time to time however, we like something different but tasty still. I was also bent on making something that both the vegans and non-vegans amongst us will enjoy. This search led me to making mushroom rice.
There is an earthiness to mushrooms and how they add a distinct flavour when used in any dish. If you don’t believe me, it means you are yet to try dishes like diri djon djon. Switch up your rice game by making this easy pan of mushroom rice. The good news is, it is ready in just 30 minutes!
Other Rice Dishes for you to try
Ingredients needed for Mushroom Rice
Mushrooms
I used white button mushrooms for this dish, you can use other types of mushrooms such as portobello, shiitake or even the popular cremini.
Vegan butter
Vegan butter forms all the fat that is used for this dish. As opposed to using regular oil, butter adds a distinct flavour to this dish. If you are non-vegan, use regular unsalted butter.
Jasmine Rice
The choice of rice is intentional, it is not only perfumy, it cooks pretty faster than some other types of long grain rice. Basmati also works great as a substitute for jasmine rice.
Aromatics
We use a combination of white onion and garlic. The amount used will depend majorly on personal preference.
Vegetable Broth
Use this instead of water to cook the rice. If making the non-vegan version, use chicken or beef broth. Vegetable broth is available in most grocery stores.
Carrots
Sliced carrots added colour and crunch to this dish.
Mushroom Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1½ lb mushrooms sliced
- 1 onion diced
- garlic minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth chicken broth if non-vegan
- 1 carrot thick slices
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash rice three times to get rid of some of that starchy content, drain and set aside.
- Heat up a large deep skillet, melt the butter and go in with the aromatics (onions & garlic), saute till fragrant.
- Toss in the sliced mushroom. Let it cook on medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes until it is light brown, add in some salt and black pepper, take the mushrooms out and set aside.
- Pour in the rice, add in the broth, cover and reduce the heat to low, let it cook for 15-20 mins. As you cook, you might need to adjust the seasoning or add little drops of water if the texture is not to your liking.
- When most of the water content is gone, while still moist, toss in the mushrooms and carrots, cover and let it keep steaming on low heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Fluff it all up using a fork till ingredients are well distributed.
Notes
- Feel free to use any type of rice, I used jasmine rice but basmati works just as well. These types of rice cook way faster than regular long-grained rice.
- I chose to use white button mushrooms for this dish, you can use this or other types such as cremini or portobello mushrooms.
- For a non-vegan version, switch out vegetable broth for chicken broth and vegan butter for regular unsalted butter.
