When it comes to rice dishes there really isn’t anything better, for me, than one that is inspired by Asian cuisine. The umami – that extra meaty flavor – that comes from things like soy sauce or fish sauce just bring so much flavor to the already amazing texture of perfectly cooked rice. There’s truthfully nothing better to me than a bowl of white rice with soy sauce drizzled on top!
When this recipe idea came to me it was as we were enjoying a bowl of homemade orange chicken served over Riceland medium grain brown rice, and the texture of the rice mixed with the sweet-salty-umami sauce so well that I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had to make the dish again, but this time creating a really saucy rice that you could serve alongside any protein and/or veggie you like.
One thing to note here: you could just whisk all of the sauce ingredients together, bring it to a simmer and let it reduce and it still tastes fantastic. However, if you’re like me and don’t mind going the extra step for more flavor you’ll definitely enjoy cooking the tomato paste a little bit first. It adds this incredible depth of flavor, not to mention it removes that canned tomato paste taste. Just a few extra minutes make for an even more enjoyable dish!
Looks delicious and can be paired with veggies. About how long does it take to prepare this dish?
Totally depends on whether you choose white rice (about 20 minutes) or brown (about 40)! You could just use leftover rice and make the sauce, though, and that would be maybe 10? 🙂