Rice with herbs, recipe Garlone Bardel

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

This herbal rice is a simplified version of an Iranian recipe… Cooking creates an irresistible crispy crust, thanks to the flavor of the infused herbs. Rice, whose energy in Ayurveda is sweet, contains energetic and astringent properties.

It is consumed with its cooking water, in which fresh herbs and ghee simmer over low heat, to fill it with nutrients. Rice is a samana type food, the energy located between the heart and the navel and circulating around the waist. This force, responsible for the assimilation of food, regulates and controls the digestive system: stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines. It also acts on the heart and the respiratory system. Samana foods include whole grains that balance, and specifically rice, which is also considered, if it is suitable for the metabolism, as the basis of a vegetarian diet. Parsley, coriander, dill and chives act together on several levels: mobilizing toxins from the body, this delicious mixture promotes their elimination, facilitates digestion by acting in particular on intestinal fermentation and provides powerful antioxidants to the body, which fight the formation of free radicals due to stress and toxins. Fresh herbs, full of chlorophyll, promote prana, the energy located in the chest, responsible for breathing. At lunch, you can add slices of fried tofu (marinated for a few minutes beforehand in olive oil and soy sauce).

For 4 plates

In the kitchen: 20 min + 30 min cooking

• 200 g of half-wholemeal basmati rice
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander
• 4 tbsp chopped dill
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• unrefined sea salt

The preparation

Rinse the rice in a colander, place it in a bowl, add 2 pinches of coarse salt and 1 liter of boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile, chop all the herbs, place them in a bowl, add 2 to 3 pinches of salt and mix well. In a saucepan (with a lid) about 20 cm in diameter, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of water and place half of the rice. Then, place the herbs in a layer that covers the rice. Then, cover the herbs with a layer of the remaining rice. Melt the ghee and sprinkle it over everything. Add 20 cl of water, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes