Alex Aruj adapted a traditional Mexican rice (Arroz a la mexicana) recipe using whole Kernza grain in place of rice. The result is a savory, satisfying dish that cooks beautifully in a pressure cooker.
Kernza® a la Mexicana
Servings
Serves 4 people
Cook Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz.) veg broth
- Quarter of a small-medium onion rough chopped
- 1 clove garlic rough chopped
- 3 small tomatoes rough chopped
- 2 small carrots peeled and diced
- 1.5 cups (300 g) kernza grain
- 2 tbsp oil (coconut or olive according to your preference)
Directions
- Blend the chopped garlic and onion with the vegetable broth. Blend until uniform.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil in your pot over low-medium heat.
- Toast and stir 1.5 cups kernza in the oil for 3-5 minutes on a low-medium heat setting.
- Add the chopped carrot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the blended liquid mixture to the pot and secure the lid on your pot or pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook for 20 min. on default setting.
- Release pressure for 5 min (quick release valve).
- Stir and taste a few grains to ensure it is done to your liking. It will have some 'bite' to it, but should be done. Remove lid and serve.
Recipe Note
On first attempt we thought 15m pressure was too little, so we put lid back on and pressure-cooked for five minutes, hence we believe 20 minutes pressure is sufficient. Feel free to try 25-30 minutes! However, I would predict the kernza will have some toothy al dente bite to it! I would be curious to know how soaking the kernza for 30 minutes would affect the final dish. 1.5 cups kernza to 2 cups water turned out to be excellent proportions for 20 minutes of pressure cooking, since it kept a little bit of juice left over for residual absorption and deliciousness. We served the dish with green beans and brussel sprouts minus the parmesan using this recipe.