One large eggplant or three small zucchini or yellow squash can replace the beets in this recipe. This recipe can be served over any veggies that you have available in the fridge as substitutions to the recommended veggies.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp black rice (brown also works)
3 cups red beets (2 large or 3 medium) peeled and finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Tbsp garlic-chili sauce
¼ cup chopped green onions
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
Optional: Quinoa, black or brown rice for serving
Directions
Heat a small pan over medium-low heat. Toast the rice, stirring consistently until it starts to pop. Remove from the pan, let cool, and then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. A coffee grinder will also work for this.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the beets and sauté for 4-5 minutes. If substituting with other, softer veggies, sauté for 3 minutes.
While the beets are cooking, whisk together the lime juice, water, fish sauce, maple syrup and garlic-chili sauce.
Add half of this mixture to the beets, along with the toasted rice powder, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring consistently.
Stir the mint, basil and cilantro into the remaining half of the sauce mixture. Once the beets are done cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the rest of this mixture with the herbs.
Serve with the carrots, cucumber, red cabbage and Napa cabbage. Optional to add quinoa or rice.
