Simple, Vegan Peanut Butter Rice

This peanut butter rice is super easy to make and gives your dish a nice twist! The peanut butter adds flavor and makes it more buttery. Plus, it adds protein to your meal. 

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice* (See Notes about rice substitutions)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
black pepper
6 tbsp peanut butter + 4 tbsp warm water

Why You’ll Love It

Rice is an easy, nutritious and cheap grain to add to make many meals complete. However, it can get a little boring after a while. Making peanut butter rice gives your dish a nice twist by adding a wonderful flavor, AND it adds protein to your rice, but is still very simple to make. Plus, it barely adds any cost to your dish! Once you’ve done this, it will surely make it into your meal rotation!

Background To Peanut Butter Rice

My in-laws in Zimbabwe like to make peanut butter rice from time to time to go with their veggies and meat. I love peanut butter and, therefore, really like the idea of peanut butter rice. Not to mention, as a vegan, it’s always nice to have some extra protein in your meal. The only thing I didn’t love about the peanut butter rice was the consistency. They cook it until it is super soft, but I personally prefer my rice to be less mushy. I asked my sister-in-law, Debra, for her recipe and have adapted it to my personal liking to create the recipe below. Instead of using white rice, I use brown rice to add in more nutrients and vitamins, but also to keep the rice from getting too soft. Plus, I’ve added garlic powder and black pepper to add in a bit more flavor. 

How to Prepare

Rinse and drain your 2 cups brown rice in water. Set aside.

In a medium sized pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the 1 tsp of salt, give it a quick stir. Then add your rinsed rice. Cover and cook on medium low for about 35 minutes, until the water is drained. Give your rice a taste test. It should still be slightly chewy, but not crunchy. Remove from heat.

Add the 4 tbsp of warm water to your 6 tbsp of peanut butter. Stir to make a paste out of it, then add it to the pot of rice. Also add the 1/4 tsp garlic powder to the pot. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the peanut butter has mixed with all the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I gave it 5-8 grinds each of salt and pepper.)

Serve warm with your favorite vegetable medley!

How To Serve

Serve this peanut butter rice just like you would any other rice. Serve warm on the side of your favorite vegetable medley. I often eat it with oven roasted root vegetables and stir-fried kale. If you want to make it look fancy, you can form the rice into a round ball-like shape. It’s sticky rice, so you can get creative with your presentation!

How to Store

Let cool completely before transferring into an airtight container. This rice will last you about a week in the refrigerator, but for best results, I suggest you consume it within 3-5 days. You can also freeze this peanut butter rice for a later day. Again, let cool completely, store in an airtight container and freeze. Consume within 3 months for best results. 

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

This simple oven roasted black radish recipe will go great with your peanut butter rice. 

Q&A

Do You Have To Wash Rice Before Cooking?

Okay, honestly… I usually skip this step of rinsing rice before cooking. BUT you are SUPPOSED to do so. While rice produced in the US is usually thoroughly washed, and you will probably be fine eating the rice without having rinsed it yourself, there is a risk if your rice wasn’t produced in the US. Other countries may not wash or fortify their rice. Not rinsing it could mean that some dirt, bugs, or chemicals might end up in your dish. The reason why I DO rinse rice for this particular peanut butter rice is, that washing rice will result in it being LESS STICKY. Residual starch is rinsed off before cooking it, which results in it being less sticky during the cooking process. 

Why Is My Rice Crunchy?

If your rice is crunchy, you probably need to add more water to the cooking process. Add little by little until you’ve found the right amount. The general rule of thumb is to use 2 parts water to 1 part rice. So, you would use 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. But some rice types might require more water. Some pots cook warmer than others and might be the reason for your need of more water. Also, make sure to cook with your pot covered. Cook on medium low or even low, if you are having trouble. Don’t go higher or the water will drain too quickly. If you’re still not satisfied, try leaving the covered pot standing (without heat) for 5-10 minutes at the end. That way it steams a bit more. Fluff with a fork.  

Can My Kid Help Me Cook?

Yes, it’s always a great idea to involve your children in cooking (unless you’re in a rush, because they will inevitably slow you down). My 2 year old can get going on mixing the peanut butter with warm water to start the paste. (Though I do need to finish mixing it.) And she has just started stirring the pot for me, while standing in her learning tower. If your child is too young to even do that, you could still have them with you, watching what you do while you talk them through the process. Kids are usually just so interested in what we do, it can be a nice time spent together, while allowing you to get your meal cooked!

Notes

* You can use a different type of rice if you want. My in-laws tend to use white rice, but I find it gets too mushy for my liking. Keeping it firm is one reason why I choose to use brown rice for this dish. The added nutrients and vitamins is the second reason why I opt for brown rice. 

 

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