Arros brut – a vegan recipe

This is my vegan recipe for arros brut (dirty rice), my favourite traditional recipe from Mallorca. No animal products and all of the flavour!

• 500ml vegetable stock
• coconut oil
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 tomato tin (see BONUS TIPS)
• mushrooms, sliced
• cooked artichokes, diced
• sweet peas
• green beans, sliced
• carrots, diced
• two handfuls of round rice (like the risotto type)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• saffron (see BONUS TIPS)
• salt and pepper

1. In a big pot heat up the coconut oil and cook the onions with some salt on medium heat until they become see-through, not golden.
2. Add the tomato tin to the onions and lower the heat.
3. Once the tomato starts slowly bubbling, add the stock and reduce 1/3.
4. At this point add the green beans and carrots, and cook on medium for 5 minutes.
5. Pour in the sweet peas and cook for another 5 minutes, then finally add the mushrooms and the rice.
6. Throw in the spices and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. When the rice is done but still has a bit of a bite, it’s ready. Check to see if it needs more salt, and you’re done!

BONUS TIPS:

• A bit of fresh lemon juice gives it – in my opinion – the perfect touch.
• Under no circumstances should you use long rice such as basmati for this dish. It is a blasphemy – blasphemy, I say! – against my culture and it will also not turn out well. Go for a round grain like the risotto rice type. You have been warned.
• Instead of a tomato tin, you can get a few fresh tomatoes and grate them. Yes, I said grate them. Obviously do not grate your fingers, stop before you grate the peel.
• If you can’t get your hands on saffron for whatever reason (unavailability, price…), you can swap this for 1tsp turmeric.
• This is a soupy kind of dish, so it should not end up looking like a risotto. Don’t dry out all of the stock!
• I sometimes substitute the cinnamon for 1 drop of cinnamon bark therapeutic grade essential oil (this is the brand I use).