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As I've mention before, I've always had an easy to upset stomach. Twisty roads, fatty or spicy foods, non-nutritive sweeteners, and many other things leave me feeling pretty awful! It's kind of a bummer sometimes (I love pizza but it almost always makes me sick), but it's also good in a strange way. It makes it a lot easier to eat healthy and avoid temptation when I know most of the "bad" stuff will ruin my day!
In spite of my clean eating efforts, I occasionally end up eating something that does not make my stomach happy. This ginger rice is the perfect way for me to get my carbs on those days when I don't think I can handle something a little harder to digest like sweet potatoes or quinoa! With two simple ingredients (ginger and rice!), it's great alone or as an accompaniment to most Asian or Indian-inspired dishes.
I wrote the recipe for "four servings" of rice with about 20 grams of ginger, which is roughly a thumb-sized piece. This makes for some fairly spicy rice! If you'd prefer your ginger rice to be less ginger-y, use more rice with the same quantity of ginger or less ginger with the same amount of rice. You can also use a heaping tablespoon of pre-minced ginger instead of grating your own.
No matter what ginger:rice ratio you use, make sure you rinse your rice thoroughly before adding the ginger.
I know some people insist you shouldn't rinse rice, but it's actually pretty important. You can read more about why you should rinse things like rice and quinoa and see the Chicago Tribute article about the importance of rinsing rice to reduce arsenic levels if you're not convinced! You don't need to rinse your rice until the water is totally 100% clear, but it should be fairly clear, which usually takes about three changes of water.
Soothing Ginger Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
My dad also believed you begin eating with your eyes and that food should be presented nicely. He would frequently make rice a bit "nicer" by forming it into a bowl shape for serving. It's one of those really easy tricks with elegant results. Lightly pack the prepared rice into a bowl with about the same volume as the cooked rice. Invert the serving plate over the bowl, pick up the bowl and plate, and quickly flip them both so the bowl is sitting on top of the plate. Tap the bowl gently and gently raise it, leaving the bowl-shaped rice on the plate. It's a bit like turning a cake out of its pan.
Can you believe that is, according to the package, four servings of rice?! Haha - not in this house! I didn't increase my daily calories enough when I started Olympic weightlifting last month and I accidentally lost four pounds in five weeks! What a problem to have, right? If you're active and paying attention to what you eat by tracking your macros, it is hard work to get all the calories you need while consuming primarily whole/nutrient dense foods. It's difficult, but worth it - paying attention to what you eat is so important. Multiple studies indicate exercise alone is frequently fairly useless for weightloss (and may even lead to weight gain!). Most people only see results when they pair physical activity with proper nutrition and a good attitude. Seriously! You can read all about it on Precision Nutrition. Sorry - sometimes I get a bit carried away when discussing food, especially since I've personally seen how much of a difference proper nutrition makes.
White rice has kind of a boring reputation, but this ginger rice is anything but! Do you have any favorite ways to make rice a bit more interesting?
Duni
Well, of course, I love rice 🙂 I mostly eat Basmati and I buy 10 kilo sack, because I eat A LOT of it. Your ginger version sounds yummy! Sometimes I add a grated carrot to the rice while it is still cooking.
Natashalh
Carrot is an interesting idea! I like basmati, but my husband prefers something medium or short grain. He's also a big fan of rice in general - it's a staple of the Cuban diet!