This year, the holiday of Purim comes out on a Friday. The timing can make an already busy day even more so, with the added responsibility of preparing for both Purim and Shabbat. Between the Megillah reading, exchanging mishloach manot, the festive Purim meal, and the usual Shabbat prep, it’s easy to feel a little frazzled. But with a little advanced planning, including this recipe for baked rice with slow-roasted tomatoes and garlic, you can enjoy the day of Purim and greet Shabbat like a Queen.
Baked Rice with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
In this recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi adapted by Melissa Clark in the New York Times, “tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil, then baked with basmati rice until everything is fragrant and soft”. This dish can be prepared the day before you’re planning to serve it. It reheats beautifully. Making baked rice with slow-roasted tomatoes and garlic is largely a hands-off affair leaving you free to answer the door with a smile when little Hamans, Queen Esthers, and President Trumps come calling.
Assemble your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Measure out the basmati rice into a medium-sized bowl and cover it with cool tap water. Swish the rice with your fingers to help release the surface starch. Drain the water from the rice using a fine mesh strainer. Repeat the rinse cycle 3 or 4 more times until the soaking water remains pretty clear. Rinsing the rice prevents it from becoming gummy and sticky when it cooks. Set the rinsed rice aside.
In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, ½ teaspoon thyme (optional), ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil then bake uncovered until the tomatoes are slightly charred and have burst, about 1 hour. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 F.
Without stirring anything, sprinkle the rinsed rice evenly over the roasted vegetables. Top with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper. Add the consommé powder to the boiling water if desired. Carefully pour the boiling water over the rice, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Return the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Remove the dish from oven and set it aside for 10 minutes, still covered. Remove the foil, gently stir to distribute the tomatoes, add more salt if needed, and serve.
Baked Rice with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
Tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic, and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil then baked with basmati rice.
Ingredients
- 2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
- 12 large garlic cloves
- 4 large shallots, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- Black pepper, as needed
- ½ teaspoon thyme (optional but nice)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons consommé powder (optional)
- 2½ cups boiling water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear (or close to it). Set the rice aside.
In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, ½ teaspoon thyme (optional), ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil then bake uncovered until the tomatoes are slightly charred and have burst, about 1 hour. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 F.
Without stirring anything, sprinkle the rinsed rice evenly over the roasted vegetables. Top with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper.
Add the consommé powder to the boiling water if desired. Carefully pour the boiling water over the rice, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Return the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
Remove the dish from oven and set it aside for 10 minutes, still covered. Remove the foil, gently stir to distribute the tomatoes, add more salt if needed, and serve.
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