Is it a pilaf? Is it a risotto? No, it’s a stirfry. Sort of. Truth be told, I can’t quite decide how to classify this tasty little dish. What I do know is that this has become a favourite mid-week meal of mine. Why? It’s filling but super-healthy, quick but impressive and perfect for using up those veggies in the crisper. Like most good recipes, its development was a kind of serendipity (like the lady who invented choc-chip cookies when she was trying to make chocolate biscuits. Or something.) I liked the sound of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s quinoa stir-fry with kale, chilli and nuts, but when I got home ready to soak my quinoa, I discovered that pantry moths had gotten there first (seriously, those little bastards are the bane of my life). Brown rice to the rescue! I’ve never even bothered trying the quinoa, that’s how much I like this muddled-up dinner just the way it is.

I’ve made this countless times since that first Tuesday night, and while I’ve settled on my favourite ingredients, I reckon something varies every single time. It’s more like a template, with one crucial key–the soy sauce and lemon combination. I’ve never managed to make a stirfry I’ve been truly happy with, until now–they’ve always been too…well, wet, or soy-saucy, or, even with a foolproof hoisin sauce finisher, not quite right. But this combo has truly been an eye-opener for me, and along with sesame oil, it’s also become a favourite dressing for steamed greens. Hurray! And so, whatever category this recipe technically falls into, and whatever the ingredients, I’m filing it under easy-peasy dinner dishes.

Brown rice stir-fry with kale, almonds, pumpkin, sugar-snap peas and red cabbage

Makes approx. 6 servings (and it’s great for lunches)

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: ten minutes (not including rice)

Oil for frying, approx. one tablespoon

medium onion, chopped finely

two cm piece of ginger, minced

large handful of raw almonds

quarter of a red cabbage, sliced thinly

half a butternut pumpkin, cubed and cooked until tender in the microwave (for my ancient machine, approx. 5 minutes)

20-30 sugar snap peas, topped, tailed and de-stringed

bunch of kale (or any type of dark, leafy green), chopped roughly

three cups of cooked brown basmati rice

quarter of a cup of soy sauce or tamari

juice of one lemon

Heat your oil, then fry the onion and ginger until translucent. Toss in your almonds, and coat well. Add red cabbage and toss for 30 seconds or so. Add pumpkin and toss until cooked almost all the way through. Add peas and kale and toss until tender and wilted. Stir in the brown basmati rice, and pour over the soy sauce and lemon, making sure everything is mixed well and the rice has soaked up all the beautiful fresh flavours. Adjust to taste. And enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Parsnip, sage and mascarpone risotto
2. Cantonese-style sweetcorn soup