For Christmas in July, Sebastian pleasantly surprized me with the MasterChef Australia Cookbook bundle! The set features three cookbooks by previous MasterChef Australia winners: Heart of the Home by Julie Goodwin; Next Element by Andy Allen; and A Homegrown Table by Emma Dean. Although these are not necessarily vegan cookbooks, they contain various delicious veggie recipes, and dishes that can easily be modified to suit our vegan needs.

The first recipe that caught my eye was Julie Goodwin’s curried rice salad. I borrowed the base of her rice spice and amended it to create my own HCLF vegan version. For this recipe I used the most delicious biryani spice mix that my dad prepared for me, but you can substitute it with mere yellow curry powder if you don’t have a spice mix of your own. This curried rice dish is the perfect balance of sweet, spiced and savoury, and can be served as either a side or (in the case of a HCLF vegan diet) as a main with mixed lettuce on the side. It also serves as a great filling for squash, butternut, roti’s and wraps.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Jasmine or Basmati rice (I used Spekko India Gate Classic Basmati rice)
• 2 cups of water for cooking
• Pinch of Himalayan salt for cooking

Spice mix:

• 1/2 cup of boiling water
• 2 tablespoon biryani spice or curry powder
• 2 tablespoons raw coconut sugar (use more if you want your rice sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon Robertsons garlic flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Soak 1 cup of basmati rice in lukewarm water for 30 minutes (optional)
• Rinse the rice and add to microwave safe container with 2 cups of cold water and a pitch of Himalayan salt. Cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes on high. (If you are using a different type of rice, cook it according to packet instructions)
• Combine the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
• After 5 minutes of cooking, fluff the rice with a fork. Pour the spice mixture over the rice and mix well.
• Cook rice for another 1-2 minutes on high.
• Garnish with parsley or coriander leaves.