Crispy Rice & Tomato Salad

Image by Robbie Guevarra

Crispy Cilantro Rice with a Tomato Salad

When I was a kid my mother would often make a mix of tomatoes dressed with fish sauce and a touch of salt. At the end of the meal, she would add hot rice to the bowl of leftover tomatoes and serve it as an after-meal treat. I loved it—eating the rice saturated with savory tomato juices. This dish is rooted in that feeling but updated with a few added textures and techniques. Cilantro leaves and stems (very important for texture, and because we should be using the entire herb!) make this a bit more interesting than the original. The coriander seeds echo those notes, the fennel seeds add complexity, and the texture and flavor that crispy garlic gives always plays well with everyone.

Now the rice. There’s rice, and then there’s crispy rice. Tomatoes during this time—in season, juicy, and insatiably sweet—deserve a carb alongside to make it a complete-ish meal and for contrast in texture. Which is sort of why everyone loves a tomato toast. While delicious and undoubtedly satisfying when perfect, sometimes you want something that’s a little more dressed up. This dish is tomato toast’s attention-seeking, loud yet can’t-get-enough-of little cousin. The tomato toast ran so that this dish could float right in.

(Serves 2-4)

For the tomato salad:
1 quart cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved (suggestion: buy an assortment of tomatoes)
2 tbsp fish sauce (optional) or 1 tbsp sesame oil
Kosher salt
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground
2 tbsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground
½ tbsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes

For the rice:
3 cups cooked white Jasmine rice (to achieve this amount, cook 1 cup of rice)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
½ bunch of cilantro, stems minced and leaves coarsely chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
Kosher salt
Juice of ½ lime
Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Prep your tomatoes by lightly seasoning with the fish sauce and a pinch of salt. Toss and set aside. If you aren’t using fish sauce, increase the salt amount to 1 tbsp.

Next, start on the coriander fennel oil for the tomatoes. Add olive oil and garlic to a cold medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat for everything to heat up together. Once the garlic has subtly browned around the edges (about 3-5 minutes) transfer to a paper towel using a slotted spoon and season with salt. Over medium heat, add all of the coarsely ground spices to the oil and constantly stir to avoid burning. You’ll hear a soft sizzle with the occasional popping noise and the spices will become effortlessly fragrant. After roughly two minutes, turn off the heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Add the reserved crispy garlic and, if you aren’t using fish sauce, add the sesame oil. Mix gently and set aside. 

Side note: This oil keeps well for a good amount of time in the fridge. Emulsify Dijon mustard with a bit of vinegar for a salad dressing or use it as a finishing oil for fish or chicken. 

For the rice, here are 5 simple steps to cook rice. 

1. Rinse. Place your desired amount of rice in a small pot (in this case, 1 cup) and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.

2. Measure. The correct water-to-rice ratio is 2:1. For this recipe, add 2 cups of water to the pot. 

3. Boil. Set the pot over medium-high heat and wait until the water boils. Season with a pinch of kosher salt

4. Cook. Once the pot is boiling, cover with a lid and reduce your heat to low. Keep the lid on until the rice is fully cooked—about 10-15 minutes.

5. Finish. Remove the lid, turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and allow to cool.

The next part of the recipe calls for coarsely ground spices. The easiest way to do this is with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. If you don’t have either, place the spices in a sealable plastic bag and use the bottom of a skillet or rolling pin to crush the spices until they’ve broken down into larger chunks. 

Now, back to the recipe.

For the crispy cilantro rice, start by placing a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the oil and 1 tbsp butter. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice and cilantro with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Evenly mix the ingredients by tossing with your hands or spatula. Place the rice into the pan over medium heat and gently press down on the rice. Continuously press down and move the pan around your burner as the rice cooks to encourage even browning. After three minutes, carefully run 1 tbsp butter around the perimeter of the pan—this aids in the crisping and adds a slightly nutty flavor to the rice. After about 5-7 minutes, your rice should be light brown and crispy. The rice should release from the side of the pan in one piece, similar to how a baked cake releases from the side of a pan. Remove from the heat and cool until you can confidently handle.

To finish, set a serving plate over the non-stick pan. Place one hand on top of the plate and the other hand (with an oven mitt or a heat-safe towel) on the bottom of the pan. Carefully to turn the rice out onto the plate. Remove the pan to reveal the crispy, browned side of the rice. Next, spoon the seasoned tomatoes on top, allowing for some (not all) of the liquid to transfer over. Dress the tomatoes and rice with generous spoonfuls of the spiced oil. Finish with lime juice, cilantro leaves, and flaky salt.