Servings: 3 to 4
recipeNotes: Sprouted brown rice is a packaged product that you can find in natural foods stores with other packaged grains. The grains are sprouted, then dried. It looks and cooks like regular brown rice.
Same as germinated rice
Julienne carrots with hijiki seaweed is a traditional Japanese combination. Here I’ve added some tofu to bulk up the protein. Hijiki is an excellent source of iodine, vitamin K, folate and magnesium; the seaweed is soaked and simmered before cooking with the carrot and aromatics.
Ingredients
1/2 oz (ab 1/2 cup) dried hijiki
1 Tbsp soy sauce, preferably tamari (more to taste)
2 tsp mirin
1 Tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
1/2 lb firm tofu, cut in 1/2-by-1″” dominoes
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp shredded or minced ginger
1/2 lb (2 large) carrots, cut in 2- or 3″” long julienne
Salt to taste (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 cup cooked sprouted brown rice
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
Directions
1. Place the hijiki in a medium bowl, and cover with water. Soak 15 minutes, and drain. Place in a medium saucepan, and add just enough water to cover, along with 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the remaining soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl, and place within reach of your wok or pan. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water quickly evaporates from the pan. Swirl in the peanut or canola oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and then tilting the pan side to side. Add the tofu and stir-fry until lightly colored, one to two minutes. Add the ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds.
3. Add the carrots, and stir-fry for one minute until they begin to soften. Add the hijiki, soy sauce and mirin. Continue to stir-fry for another two to three minutes until the carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in the sesame oil and rice, and toss together for a minute or two, pressing the rice into the sides of the wok before scooping and stirring. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.