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Okinawan taco rice (vegetarian)
タコライス (takoraisu): spiced bean filling, lettuce, tomato and cheese piled on hot rice
Taco rice was invented in 1984 in the town of Kin, Okinawa, next to a large US Marine base, by a café owner who put taco fillings on rice to make a cheap, filling plate for young soldiers. It became one of Okinawa's best-loved comfort foods and now turns up in school lunches, convenience stores and beach cafés across the islands. The usual filling is spiced minced beef; Okinawan cafés also offer bean versions, and ours uses kidney beans and walnuts for the same crumbly bite. Serve it with hot sauce and eat it from one bowl, mixing as you go. Chef's tip: cook the filling until it's almost dry. A juicy filling soaks the rice and the cheese won't melt into it properly.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
To assemble
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry 1 onion for 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute.
6 minStep 2: Add 14 oz cooked kidney beans and mash about half of them roughly with a potato masher or fork, right in the pan. Stir in 2 ⅛ oz walnuts.
2 minStep 3: Sprinkle in 2 tsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp smoked paprika and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 4 tbsp water.
1 minStep 4: Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until the mixture is thick, dark and crumbly, with no liquid left in the pan. Taste and add more chilli if you like.
8 minStep 5: Common mistake: piling the lettuce on first. Okinawan cooks lay the hot filling directly on the rice so it warms through, then add the cold toppings.
Step 6: Spoon 1 ¾ lb hot cooked Japanese short-grain rice into wide bowls. Top with the hot filling, then 3 ½ oz grated Cheddar so it starts to melt, then ¼ iceberg lettuce and 2 tomatoes. Finish with 4 tbsp hot sauce or salsa and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does okinawan taco rice (vegetarian) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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