1/3 c. water
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 t. curry powder
1. Place the water, onion, and celery in a saucepan.Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes longer.\
I made this dish, as is, at first, but I wasn't satisfied with the blandness of it. I used 2 teaspoons of the curry powder, but I think it could have used more curry. I didn't want to make too many changes because I wanted that curry flavor to come through, but I wasn't happy with the flavor after the 30 minutes, so I added a few more ingredients right before serving: sea salt, black pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin (all, to taste). I know the cilantro and lime juice changed the flavor profile of the soup so that I didn't end up with what the recipe originally intended. However, I enjoyed it, nonetheless.
When I saw this recipe, I thought it was the perfect way to use the leftover rice I had in the refrigerator from last night. Luckily, I had just enough rice for the recipe.
My family was having BBQ pork ribs tonight, so I gave them the soup--more like wet rice--as their side dish. I used a slotted spoon to serve them so that they hardly had any liquid.
I used a ladle to serve myself more of the broth with the rice in a bowl as a soup. I'm used to eating more bulk for dinner, so I missed having the crunch of more vegetables. However, in the future, I think I would use this as a lunch meal, or in conjunction with another vegetable dish, for dinner.
Tonight, I had mixed reviews on this recipe from my family. My husband loved it, and he even had seconds. My older son and daughter ate it all, but didn't say anything. This usually means they're not crazy about the meal but are able to deal with the new flavors. My youngest son, on the other hand, complained about having to try yet another new vegetarian dish. He said, and I quote, "I hate it. It's terrible." I told him he had to have at least three bites and that we could talk about it afterward. After he had his three bites, he tried to explain what it was that he didn't like.
He said that it had too many spices. The thing is, he's never had curry before, so I explained to him that this dish didn't actually have many spices, but rather one new spice that he is not used to. I don't think he'll love it the next time I make it, but I'm sure he'll get used to the new flavors little by little.
As I talked to my son about all of this, it made me reflect on the rest of the people in my life and on how their attitudes towards my meals have changed. It's nice to see that my parents aren't weirded out by my meals anymore. Well, at the very least, they don't show it as much.
I've also noticed the difference at work. In the beginning, my coworkers found it somewhat annoying. I remember being asked questions, such as, "You're still not eating meat????" or "Don't you want to eat something really good???" Then, I'd have to explain, that my food WAS really good. I started bringing extra to share, and sometimes they'd try it...other times, they'd look at me like I was asking them to eat bugs. Anyway, bit by bit, these types of questions died down, and now, they don't even notice. I'm glad to see that it's just a part of me that they acknowledge now, the status quo, as opposed to an eccentricity that they used to struggle with.
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