Clean-Out-The-Fridge Pilaf

This is the recipe for those nights when you open the fridge, see a handful of vegetables that need using up, and don’t feel like thinking too hard. Brown basmati rice, chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, and onion all go into one pot with water. Bring it up, cover it, walk away for 45 minutes.

The beauty of brown basmati is that it takes long enough to cook that the vegetables have time to break down and flavor the rice from within. The tomatoes collapse into the liquid and create a light, savory broth. The peppers soften but keep some body. The mushrooms release their moisture early and then reabsorb it along with all the other flavors as the rice drinks up the water.

No oil, no butter, no stock. Just water, salt, and whatever the fridge gives you. The vegetables provide all the flavor the rice needs.

Two cups of rice to four cups of water is the standard ratio for brown basmati. The vegetables release additional moisture as they cook, so the finished pilaf will be tender but not mushy as long as you keep the lid on and resist stirring.

Pro Tips

• Don’t lift the lid or stir during the 45-minute simmer. Steam does the cooking, and every peek lets it escape
• Cut all vegetables to roughly the same small dice so they cook evenly with the rice
• Let the pilaf rest covered for 5 minutes after cooking, then fluff with a fork. This lets the last bit of moisture absorb evenly
• Swap in any vegetables you have: zucchini, carrots, celery, corn, peas

Variations

• Use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water for a richer flavor base
• Stir in a teaspoon of cumin and half a teaspoon of turmeric with the water for a spiced version
• Top with crumbled feta or a squeeze of lemon juice before serving