It was just twelve months ago when I was part of a crew planting a bush tucker garden at the local farm, and now we have quite a few edible indigenous plants growing, including the Australian Old Man Saltbush. After harvesting a bunch of it, I roughly chopped their leaves up to make this rice dish which can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with anything you like. The greyish green leaves have a mild salty and earthy flavour and I am only beginning to explore their many culinary uses. A mix of jasmine rice and black rice makes this dish visually and texturally interesting, but cook the two separately, as they have different cooking times. Black rice also comes in pre-cooked packages from the supermarkets which are perfect for this recipe.
- 100g / 3½oz saltbush leaves, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions, sliced thinly
- ½ cup dill, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup black rice (or a packet of 250g / 9oz pre-cooked black rice)
- water
- sea salt, to taste
- lemon wedges
METHOD
- Cook black rice according to packet instructions (or use the pre-cooked alternative). Set aside.
- Heat oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium until hot. Add garlic and spring onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Add the saltbush and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the jasmine rice and stir to coat in oil. Season with salt to taste. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. When most of the water has been evaporated leaving little craters on top of the rice, reduce heat to low. Add the cooked black rice. Cover and cook the rice gently for about 10 minutes until the jasmine rice is tender and the black rice is heated through.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest in the pan, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the dill and give the rice a fluff to mix with the vegetables. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
Source (with adaptations): Adam Liaw
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