Jeez, I made this a long time ago! May 14th to be exact… I made it because a vegan friend was coming over for supper – and because it’s quite tasty, of course.
This dish is a really nice combination of sweet and spicy, it’s also very filling and nutritious!
Squash or pumpkin adds the sweet…
Onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, and allspice add the spice…
Collards and black beans join the party…
And soon you have a frugal and tasty mix up…
Yummmmmmm!
Jamaican Rice Mix-Up
Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Planet
- 1 small sugar pumpkin, about two pounds, or 1 small butternut squash – I used a small acorn squash because it’s what looked best that day.
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus a little more for pan-frying the plantains
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 jalapeño pepper, minced – this is optional depending on your love/tolerance of spice. I left it out because a baby would be eating this dish.
- 2 cups thinly sliced collard greens, beet greens or mustard greens – I used collards.
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 2 ripe plantains or large ripe bananas (optional) – I completely forgot about the plantain and tomato garnish. Oh well.
- 1 tomato, cut into ½-inch cubes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin or squash in half. Scoop out the seeds with a metal spoon and discard them. Place the halves face down on a baking sheet. Bake the pumpkin or squash for 1 hour or until it is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove it from the pan and let it cool slightly.
While the pumpkin or squash cools, cook the rice (with a teaspoon salt).
While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the ginger, garlic, allspice, curry powder and jalapeño. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.
When the pumpkin or squash has cooled slightly, scoop out the flesh, and discard the skin. Chop the flesh into large pieces.
When the rice is ready, reheat the onion mixture over medium heat. Add the rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the greens, toss well, and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. Add the pumpkin or squash and the black beans, and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.
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