Macrobiotic Methods of Cooking Brown Rice
With its origins in ancient Greece, the word macrobiotics means "long life" in Greek. Combining ancient Western and traditional Oriental medical practices, macrobiotic principles involve dietary and lifestyle approaches that foster optimal health and well-being. The macrobiotic diet is rich in whole grains, beans and fresh seasonal vegetables. Brown rice is one of the staples of the diet. Does this Spark an idea?
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Plain Pressure-Cooked Brown Rice
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Soak 2 cups of brown rice in 3 cups of water for approximately three to five hours. Place the rice and soaking liquid in a pressure cooker and season with a pinch of salt or a 1-inch piece of kombu seaweed per cup of rice. Cook on a medium-high flame, bringing the pot up to pressure. Once pressure is achieved, place a flame deflector under the pot and lower the flame, cooking the rice for 50 minutes. Turn off the flame, allowing the pressure to reduce on its own before opening the lid.
Porridge
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Turn cooked, leftover rice into porridge. Place 4 cups of precooked rice with 8 cups of water in a medium-size sauce pan. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Decrease the flame and bring to a simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until the porridge develops a creamy texture. Season the porridge with 2 1/2 tbsp. of miso that has been pureed with 1/4 cup of cold water. Garnish with sliced scallions or gomashio (sesame salt condiment).
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Brown Rice With Other Grains
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Add textural variety to your brown rice and boost its nutritional value by combining it with whole grains, such as hatomugi (pearl barley), millet, wheat berries or whole oats. Grains, such as hatomugi can lend a slightly bitter taste to the rice, while other grains, such as corn, millet and whole oats add a subtle sweet flavor. Maintain the ratio of 3/4 cup to 2/3 cup of rice to 1/4 cup to 1/3 whole grains.
Brown Rice With Beans
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For a nutritious one-dish meal, try beans and rice. Choose from a variety of beans, such as azuki, pinto, black soy beans and lentils. Cooking beans with rice usually requires a longer preparation time as the beans need to be soaked overnight, dry skillet roasted, or par-boiled prior to cooking. Make sure the beans have been washed and soaked in enough cold water to cover as proper soaking makes beans more digestible. Cook in a pressure cooker as for plain rice.
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