Name: Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups black rice; Salt and pepper; 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 2 teaspoons minced shallot; 2 teaspoons honey; 2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 6 ounces sugar snap peas , strings removed and halved; 5 radishes , trimmed, halved, and sliced thin; 1 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine; 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Black rice, also known as purple rice or forbidden rice, was once reserved for the emperors of China. It has a delicious roasted, nutty taste and is used in anything from salads to dessert puddings. We decided to use it in a simple salad, and, to add some extra texture and color, we paired it with crunchy snap peas, peppery radishes, cilantro, and a ginger-sesame vinaigrette. Our major obstacle was finding the right method for cooking the rice, as it is easy to overcook. We discovered that the best way to keep it evenly cooked was to cook it like pasta, in lots of boiling water, giving it space to move around. Once it was cooked, we drizzled it with a little vinegar for a boost of flavor and let it cool completely on a baking sheet. This ensured perfectly cooked grains that had the expected chew of black rice without any mushiness.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain rice, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon vinegar. Let rice cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, shallot, honey, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Whisking slowly, drizzle in olive oil and sesame oil until combined. Add cooled rice, snap peas, radishes, bell pepper, and cilantro and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.