buttery leeks and peas rice (in the rice cooker!)
If I have one superpower right now, it’s sneaking nutrients into my mom’s meals. She’s been my roomie for the last few weeks, and getting to spend this time with her and cook for her has been my greatest joy and blessing.
I’ve also been going down a rabbit hole of traditional Chinese medicine food principles, particularly foods believed to support spleen qi and yang, so naturally everything I make these days has a secret agenda. Cooked leeks, for example, are considered warming and traditionally used to support digestion.
And while everyone in our family has been making broths and soups, our girl can only drink so many liquids in a day. So now anything that calls for water gets broth instead, including this buttery leek and pea rice.
A little miso for extra savoriness, butter and peas because it has to taste good, and as much nourishment as I can squeeze into every bite without making her eat more. Working smarter, not harder.. I guess, technically, it’s both.
i used (yields 2 large servings or 3 small)
- 1 cup medium-grain white rice
- 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp white miso`
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed small
- 1/2 cup frozen petite peas, rinsed
- salt, to taste
- white pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, to finish (optional)
to make
- add rice to rice cooker pot and rinse 3-4 times under cold water
- wash the sliced leeks thoroughly to remove any dirt or grit. i like to spin them in a salad spinner to remove excess water. then add them to the rice cooker with the rinsed rice
- dissolve the miso in the chicken broth, then pour it over the rice and leeks. add the cubed butter, a pinch of salt, and a few shakes of white pepper
- give everything a gentle mix. cook on the normal white rice setting (~54 minutes on my zojirushi!)
- once the rice is done cooking, scatter the frozen peas over the top. close the lid again and let everything steam on the keep warm setting for 10 minutes — peas should be warm by now!
- add another tablespoon of butter, if using, and gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle, mixing the peas and leeks throughout. taste and adjust with more salt or white pepper as needed
notes
- i used a 1:1 ratio of rice to broth, as i usually do. depending on your rice variety and rice cooker, you may need to adjust the liquid slightly.
Buttery Leek and Peas Rice (in a rice cooker!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium-grain white rice
- 1 medium leek white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp white miso`
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter cubed small
- 1/2 cup frozen petite peas rinsed
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter to finish (optional)
Instructions
- add rice to rice cooker pot and rinse 3-4 times under cold water
- wash the sliced leeks thoroughly to remove any dirt or grit. i like to spin them in a salad spinner to remove excess water. then add them to the rice cooker with the rinsed rice
- dissolve the miso in the chicken broth, then pour it over the rice and leeks. add the cubed butter, a pinch of salt, and a few shakes of white pepper
- give everything a gentle mix. cook on the normal white rice setting (~54 minutes on my zojirushi!)
- once the rice is done cooking, scatter the frozen peas over the top. close the lid again and let everything steam on the keep warm setting for 10 minutes — peas should be warm by now!
- add another tablespoon of butter, if using, and gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle, mixing the peas and leeks throughout. taste and adjust with more salt or white pepper as needed