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Vary amin'anana
Rice with greens
Vary amin'anana: Antananarivo's soft breakfast rice cooked with chopped greens, tomato and ginger
Before the sun clears the hills of Antananarivo, steam is already rising from pots of vary amin'anana at the hotely, the little roadside cafés where office workers and taxi-brousse drivers stop for breakfast. Rice simmers with a heap of chopped greens, a little tomato and fresh ginger until the grains swell and soften into something between a pilaf and a loose porridge, green-flecked and gently savoury. Locals spoon sakay or a sharp lasary relish on top, and anyone with more appetite adds a few beans on the side. The greens matter most: brèdes mafana (paracress) give a faint tingle, but watercress, spinach or mustard greens from the shop all work well. Chef's tip: add the tender leaves only for the last 8 minutes; boiled from the start, they turn grey-brown and bitter, which is the commonest way this simple dish goes wrong.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz long-grain white ricerinsed until the water runs almost clear
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅔ oz fresh gingerpeeled and finely grated
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 7 oz watercress, spinach or mustard greensshop-bought; tough stems removed, leaves roughly chopped (or brèdes mafana if you can buy them)
- 4 ½ cups waterhot
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and translucent.
4 minStep 2: Stir in 2 garlic cloves and ⅔ oz fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
1 minStep 3: Add 2 tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they collapse into a rough sauce.
4 minStep 4: Tip in 9 oz long-grain white rice and stir for a minute so every grain is coated.
1 minStep 5: Pour in 4 ½ cups water and 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a low simmer, half-cover and cook, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.
12 minStep 6: Stir in 7 oz watercress, spinach or mustard greens and keep simmering, uncovered, until the rice is very soft, most of the liquid has been absorbed and the leaves are just wilted and still bright green. It should be loose and spoonable; add a splash of hot water if it tightens.
8 minStep 7: Taste for salt and serve hot in bowls, with sakay or a tomato relish on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vary amin'anana take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of long-grain white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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