
There is just something about sesame seed oil, shiitake mushrooms, and rice that makes my mouth water. If I had to guess, it’s because rice is the perfect blank canvas for umami-rich shiitake mushrooms while the buttery sesame seed oil coats everything creating a delectable flavor that you simply can’t stop eating. Pushing this combination even further, I like to add shredded brussels sprouts for greens, chilis, and ginger for spice, garlic and shallots for flavor, and toasted sesame seeds to seal the deal. Let’s talk about it.
For this dish, I am teaming up with Spectrum Organics to showcase their delicious Organic Sesame Oil that is unrefined and super flavorful. Unlike toasted sesame seed oil, this variety is not toasted so you are left with a more subtle and delightful sesame flavor that is buttery and savory. It works beautifully in salad dressings, sauces, or for sauteing your favorite vegetables and proteins.
Moving on to the rice, I like to use short grain brown rice for this dish. It has a nice dense texture that contrasts well with mushrooms and veggies. To start, season the rice with sesame oil, tamari, mirin (cooking wine), and rice vinegar. The mirin makes the rice perfectly sweet and slightly sticky which complements the chewy texture perfectly. Once the rice is cooking and the other ingredients are ready, everything is ready to go. I definitely recommend having everything prepped before the sauteing begins because it all comes together in a matter of minutes. Fry the shiitake until golden brown with some sesame oil. Then the brussels. Then the garlic, shallots, ginger, and chilis. Once everything is fragrant and well combined, you are ready to sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! If you make it, please let me know by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram. Big thanks to Spectrum Organics for teaming up with me on this lovely recipe. Happy cooking y’all!
Rice Shiitake Mixture 3 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Sesame Seed Oil, unrefined Optional toppings/add ons: Chopped cilantro I recommend toasting sesame seeds at home so they are fresh. Simply add the seeds to a skillet (with nothing else!) and dry toast them on medium heat, stirring them often so they don't burn. I like to toast mine for about 7-8 minutes.
Ingredients
1 cup short grain brown rice, thoroughly rinsed
1 tablespoon Spectrum Organic Sesame Seed Oil, unrefined
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ tablespoons mirin
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons tamari
2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 cups shredded brussels sprouts
Nutritional yeast + Salt & Pepper
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ chop chopped shallot (1 medium shallot)
2-3 chilis (like Thai, cayenne, tabasco, or serrano), or desired amount
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoons tamari, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, unhulled preferable
Chopped Thai basil
Chopped chives
Sliced green onions
Ripe avocado
Fresh lime juice Instructions
notes
To make this an outstanding entree, serve it with my 'Apricot Tempeh' along with a side of my 'Firecracker Green Beans'. Both recipes are here on the blog and man does that combo sound good!
Another protein that would be perfect with this would be some baked tofu. Simply cube up some extra firm tofu and toss with sesame oil, tamari, nutritional yeast, and rice vinegar. Bake at 350 until golden brown- about 30-40 minutes. Easy!
11 comments
Can’t wait to try the red lentil Dahl recipe as well as the Shivaji mushroom rice. Thank you for sharing!!
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was awesome! I added baked tofu for a little heft. I didnt have any thai basil so I just stuck with green onions for the garnish, but I think the basil would have taken it to the next level. Will definitely be making this again. Super easy and tasty!
Oh, tofu in this sounds perfect. Thanks for letting me know! Happy cooking!
Made this tonight and it was incredible! Substituted with foraged winter chanterelles – unreal!
Ohhh that sounds LOVELY. I adore winter chanterelles. Happy cooking and thanks for the comment.
Really loved this recipe! I added an “eggy”, scrambled tofu for protein. Will definitely be making again! Perhaps with the apricot tempeh or a crispy baked tofu.
That sounds lovely! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. Happy cooking!
Hi Timothy! How long is the cooking time, prep time and how much does it make per serving? Is one Cup a serving? Didn’t see anywhere this was posted, unless the ad covered it. Thanks for all of your wonderful creations. Look forward to this one.
Hi Deb! I would say with all of the prepping and cooking of rice, this recipe will take a good 1 hour from start to finish and will serve 2 to 4! Some of my older recipes I definitely need to update and improve. Thanks for being here!
Thank you Timothy! Do you eat this as a main for dinner?
You could with some roasted vegetables on the side but I usually make something like this for lunch!