The Best Vegetable Pilaf and Mango Chutney

Last week I did my own first, self administered cleanse. Inspired by Meg and the benefits she feels from a Mindfully Fed seasonal cleanse gave me the curiosity to try. I was confident to figure out my own approach, sticking to all single whole food ingredients.

Naturally I chose to embark on this “cleanse” just as my husband headed out of the door for a week away on business, my youngest daughter Connie was navigating her week old transition into Pre-School and my eldest Lily is just managing to keep her head above water as she hits an end of school year “brick wall”. On reflection, I chose the best time to concentrate my efforts and felt all the more committed, perhaps it was the feeling of thoughtful self control I’d set up around my week rather than abstinence.

But this isn’t about the details of what I did or didn’t eat, it was reflective of most approaches to a cleanse. It’s about how I boosted the flavors of my simple ingredients.

My kitchen botanicals became my toolkit for filling the occasional flavor void. I see my herbs and spices as a culinary pharmacy for improving both the taste of our recipes and also our well being. Plus they don’t come with a plethora of scary health warnings. I have a fondness for dried red chili flakes, smoked paprika, salt and pepper so that featured frequently on salads, brown rice and grilled meats. As my garden herbs re-emerge, handfuls of mint made it’s way into large bowls of French whole grain couscous and olive oil.

For our penultimate back to basics week in May, we’ve simplified what herbs and spices can be used to flavor different meats and vegetables in general, and links to our associated slow cooker recipes. Herbs and spices won’t just add flavor to your food but nutrients too, some of which offer preventative, restorative and healing properties.

For this pilaf we’ve used whole spices and added our own rich spiced mango chutney. May is peak season for a variety of Mangoes so a great time for this recipe. One batch will be good in the fridge for 3 months and can be used alongside rice dishes, smothered on cheese sandwiches or to accompany an Indian curry.

Herbs and Spices

• Use 3 times fresh to dry or 1 tbsp fresh to 1 tsp dried.
• Use dry during cooking, and add fresh at the end

Ingredients

1 tbsp light olive oil
2 tsp garlic, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 cup carrot, small dice or batons
3 whole cardamon pods
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt
pepper
1 bag pea shoots

In a saucepan over a medium heat heat the olive oil, add the ginger and garlic and gently fry for a minute. Transfer to your slow cooker.

Pour the rice, shredded carrot, spices, broth, salt and pepper over the ginger and garlic and mix well. Cook on Low for 2 hours.

Spoon the pilaf into bowls and garnish with fresh raw peas and peashoots and a generous helping of your favorite chutney on the side or try our recipe for seasonal Mango Chutney.

Mango Chutney

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chilli, chopped small (remove seeds if you don’t like too much heat)
5 mangoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
1.2 tsp black pepper, ground
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup white vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker, mix well and cook on high for 5 hours.

Zen Toolkit
If you grow your own, perhaps on a window ledge or porch, once they’re in the peak of their growing season you can snip off extra to dry for use over the winter. I love this windowsill herb garden from Thrifty Mama.

Zen Moment
“Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.”
– William Cowper (English Poet)