Crispy Rice Salad with a Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette
If you follow foodie trends on social media, you would have come across some or other version of crispy rice. Here you have some awesome fresh cucumbers and rocket, mint and coriander – all spiced up with a Thai-style dressing.
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For the crispy rice
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp curry powder
2 cups leftover cooked rice
For the vinaigrette
1 red onion very thinly sliced from tip to tip
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
For the salad
3 cups mixed baby leaves – rocket, crunchy and butter lettuce
1 thinly sliced cucumber
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh coriander leaves
First make the ginger-lime vinaigrette: In a large bowl, stir together the sliced red onion, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, garlic and 1⁄4 cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside, letting the red onion marinate and tenderize.
Prepare the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high in a large nonstick skillet. Stir in the curry paste. Add the rice and cook, stirring quickly to coat the rice evenly, about 1 minute. (No need to break it up entirely; clumps are encouraged for texture.)
Season generously with salt and pepper, and let rice sit, undisturbed, until crispy underneath and toasted in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently turn the rice with a spatula, trying to preserve any clumps, and cook for another 3 minutes, until crispy on the second side. (The rice should be almost equal parts crispy and chewy, and evenly stained by the curry.) Transfer to a large, paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet, set in an even layer and let cool.
When ready to eat, add the greens to the vinaigrette, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl or dish. (You want a big surface area to accommodate the toppings.) Scatter with the crispy rice clusters. Serve immediately.