Curry Pineapple Salad with Parsnip Rice
One of my daughters and my favorite dinners when they were growing up was a brown rice curry dish with pineapple. I wanted to make this recipe 100% raw. Using parsnips for the rice and adding quite a few more veggies than the original had, I came up with a great raw food recipe for this pineapple salad. It is satisfying enough for lunch or dinner! I added in some mâche, one of my favorite spring greens and made a mâche dressing that was placed to the side of the dish.
Mâche also called Lamb’s Lettuce, is a wonderful spring green. Grown since the 17th century in France, mâche is starting to take it’s place amongst the beautiful array of lettuce now available to us. It actually has more iron than spinach, with sweet nutty flavor.
Curry Pineapple Salad with Parsnip Rice
SERVES 2
Curried Pineapple Salad and Parsnips with Veggies
- 2 cups parsnips, chopped fine in the food processor
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
- 1 cup carrots, chopped fine
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup mâche
- Stir all ingredients together.
Mache Dressing
- 1 cup mâche
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- Place all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth. Serve to the side of the salad.
Elena wrote on May 24, 2011
The color looks amazing, Susan! I never heard of mâche and will have to really check out what it is. 🙂
Roxanne wrote on May 23, 2011
Susan, please clarify this for us. I thought that if one “sprouts” something…the nutritional benefit would be greater. What is your opinion on this “non-wild” rice that can actually be sprouted?
http://www.bluemountainorganics.com/_product_85723/Brown_Jasmine_Rice,_sproutable_-_LRF_(24_oz)
Susan wrote on May 23, 2011
Honestly? Yes, if you can sprout it (and I really mean sprout, not just soak) it would be more nutritional. But sprouted rice is quit bitter. Why not use something that would taste better? Apparently, it is difficult to digest even when sprouted.
Faith wrote on May 23, 2011
ps I do have a mandoline someone recently gave me, haven’t used it yet, wonder if it could be used to make parsnip pasta/rice etc?
Faith wrote on May 23, 2011
Thanks for this one Susan! I’m relieved to see you’re not calling for soaked real rice since I’ve never liked it when I’ve had it in raw recipes, seems like it’s too hard to chew! And I see your point about wild rice being parched already too….so I’m happy to see parsnips….also I don’t do well with raw zucchini so can’t do much with raw pasta recipes but the parsnip is giving me a new raw carb alternative.
I don’t have a food processor though, might try chopping it fine or grating the parsnip…any other suggestions?
Cher wrote on May 23, 2011
Susan another great hit, trying it for dinner tonite, thank you for continuing to produce rawsome recipes!!!
Blessings
Cher
Eco Mama wrote on May 23, 2011
Great presentation with the colorful place setting. Love Mache!
xo
Eco Mama
Maria @ Scandifoodie wrote on May 23, 2011
I love this! Such vibrant colours and beautiful flavours. This dish sounds delicious!
Lauren wrote on May 23, 2011
@Sweet Road:
Though wild rice isn’t raw, if you still don’t want to cook it, but sprout it instead, I really liked Judita Wignall’s method:
-3/4 cu wild rice into a 1 qt mason jar and fill to the top with filtered water
-secure lid and place in dehydrator for 12 – 24 hrs at 110F
-remove jar, pour rice through strainer and rinse well. And just store leftover rice in a water filled jar, changing the water daily to keep it fresh. And it should stay about a week.
Personally, it’s the only uncooked rice method I use now because it came out so great!
Susan wrote on May 23, 2011
My point is what’s the point. If it has already seen very high heat, why soak it. There is no nutritional benefit as I can see from that method. I think a lot of people don’t realize that wild rice has undergoes very high heat blanching.
sweet road wrote on May 23, 2011
This recipe looks great! Though I am not a 100% raw eater, I like to experiment every now and then and I have looked into making raw rice. Supposedly you can “cook” or rehydrate rice by soaking it overnight… maybe you have heard of this? If so let me know the trick! I tried it twice using different kinds of rice and liquids for soaking but neither times were completely successful. I think it may depend on the rice though.
Susan wrote on May 23, 2011
I can’t see how you can actually make raw rice from real rice. Many people mistakenly have recipes for raw “wild rice” where they suggest “sprouting” it overnight. But it has to be heated at a very high heat to separate it from the husks. Personally, I don’t mess with raw rice unless I am grinding it into rice flour.