Beetroot Rice, or "Pink Rice" if You Prefer

Name: Beetroot Rice
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 10 מנות
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: Cheesecloth; 1 cup Harduf organic white long-grain rice; 1 tbsp Olive oil; Pinch of salt; 1 Peeled beetroot

Just a second before the holiday, I want to open with a cliché (from the land of clichés) and tell you, in case you didn't already know, that we eat with our eyes first. (You've never heard that one before, right?)

This side dish of pink rice (which I'm planning to serve on holiday eve) is joyful, festive, and beautiful, and I'm sure everyone will dive right into it at the holiday table.

Beetroot rice — The most beautiful dish on the table

So what's in it?

The pink color comes from my favorite vegetable, beetroot, which I grated and squeezed thoroughly.

Beetroot is a wonderful, nutritious vegetable, rich in antioxidants and various minerals, and it's particularly close to my heart.

To make it festive and fun, I added sliced almonds, pomegranate seeds, parsley, lemon, and silan. Pure joy for the belly and the table.

I think it's a stunning, cheerful side dish that can easily become the star of the holiday meal.

A Little About Beetroot Rice

I used organic long-grain rice by Harduf (who also participated in the creation of this recipe). Long-grain rice is, in my opinion, better suited for these kinds of dishes (somewhere between a side and a salad) because it maintains its shape after cooking and isn't overly starchy.

As I mentioned earlier: for the pink color, I used juice from a beetroot I grated and squeezed. You can also use store-bought juice (if you can find it), but I highly recommend making it yourself.

For that festive vibrancy, I used pomegranate, almonds, and parsley. You can go wild as you wish: mint, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil would also work great as additions or substitutes.

To create a delicate tart flavor and preserve the beetroot's pink color, I added lemon juice – my recommendation is: don't skip it.

Nutritional Values by Clinical Dietitian and Fitness Coach Noam Bechar:

One 80g serving of beetroot rice contains:

127 kcal
3g Protein
22g Carbohydrates
3g Fat

Want another beetroot recipe? How about Ptitim?

Beetroot Rice

Pink rice with beetroot, pomegranate, almonds, and parsley

Prep Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

Cheesecloth
1 cup Harduf organic white long-grain rice
1 tbsp Olive oil
Pinch of salt
1 Peeled beetroot

Mix-ins

2 tbsp Slivered almonds
3 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
Handful of chopped parsley
2 tbsp Grated beetroot What remains in the cloth after squeezing
Juice of one whole lemon
1 tsp Silan (Date syrup)

Instructions

In a medium pot, heat the oil.
Pour the cup of rice into the pot and mix well.
Fry the rice for a minute or two over high heat.
Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and cook with a lid on for about 18-20 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Preparing the beetroot juice

Grate the beetroot on a grater.
Transfer the grated beetroot to a cheesecloth and sprinkle a little salt over it to help it release liquid. Wait 10 minutes and squeeze well over a bowl.

$\"Beetroot$
Pour a tablespoon or two of the juice into the rice pot and stir until the rice turns pink.

$\"\"$
Add a little of the leftover squeezed beetroot pulp, pomegranate, parsley, almonds, lemon juice, and silan to the rice bowl and mix thoroughly.
Serve at room temperature.