Brown Rice with Caramelized Onions and Black Garlic

There are big flavor bombs in the brown rice with caramelized onions and black garlic dish. I can taste it the moment I read this recipe. First of all, there is no dish that can’t be improved with some caramelized onions. Caramelization takes time and heat in the pan to develop. Then there are the short cuts. Black garlic is one of quick and easy ways to inject deliciousness into a dish. Ottolenghi skillfully marries these two flavor bombs in a rice dish in one masterful stroke.

Furthermore, he tells you his little secrets about “Ottolenghi” ingredients, black garlic being one of them, in his latest cookbook Simple. The beauty of his list of ten “Ottolenghi” ingredients is they all have a long shelf life. I have been adding some of these special ingredients to my pantry: sumac, za’atar, Urfa chile flakes, ground cardamom, pomegranate molasses, rose harissa, tahini, barberries, black garlic and preserved lemon. Sprinkle them here and there in an everyday dish. Tada! It’s like pulling a rabbit out of the hat. I love how these secret stashes of often unexpected, sometimes whimsical, pantry additions deliver huge flavor.

“The balsamic-licorice flavor and squidgy texture of the black garlic cloves makes them easy to slice or blitz… They’re an easier way to add a ton of flavor.”

I have made brown rice with caramelized onions before, it is always good. But black garlic takes it to another level. Don’t quite know how to describe it. So I’ll say it’s umami. You want more of it.

If you are looking for last-minute stocking fillers, I can’t think of anything better to give. The reason I say that is because I’ve received one of these “Ottolenghi” ingredients from a friend. I was overjoyed.

Black garlic has a balsamic-licorice flavor and squidgy texture

Print Recipe

Brown Rice with Caramelized Onions and Black Garlic

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp/65 ml sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, cut into 3/4-inch/2 cm wedges (5 cups/500g)
• salt
• 1 lemon, peel finely shaved, plus 2 tbsp juice
• 1 cup/200g brown rice, rinsed
• 2 cups/500ml water
• 10 black garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup/150g Greek-style yogurt (optional)
• 1/2 cup/10g parsley leaves, roughly chopped (I used green onions)

Instructions

1

Pour 3 tbsp/50ml of oil into a large saute pan with a lid, and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions, along with 1/4 tsp salt, and fry for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't burn. Add the lemon peel and cook for another 12 minutes, continuing to stir from time to time, until the onions are dark and caramelized. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2

Add the remaining 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of oil to the pan, then add the rice and 1/2 tsp of salt. Fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then pour in the water. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and simmer for about 45 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the heat and stir in the onions, lemon juice and black garlic. Serve at once, topping each serving with a generous spoonful of the yogurt and sprinkle of parsley. Alternatively, you can serve the yogurt in a bowl on the side.

Notes

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple