2 cups wild rice
2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
Up to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound cauliflower florets
1 pound sliced okra (no need to thaw if frozen)
1 eggplant (12 ounces), diced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup plain yogurt (whole-milk or low-fat)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped pecans
1. Rinse the wild rice thoroughly in a sieve, then pour it into a large saucepan. Add lots of water, covering the wild rice by at least 3 inches. Bring it all to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer steadily until the grains are tender without splitting open, about 50 minutes. Drain in a small-holed colander set in the sink.
2. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
3. Melt the ghee or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring almost constantly so the ginger and garlic don’t singe, until the onion softens a bit, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cauliflower, okra, and eggplant. Toss over the heat for a couple of minutes.
5. Mix in the curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper. Stir a few times before adding the broth, yogurt, and lime juice. Stir well; bring the whole mélange to a simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the vegetables are quite tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once in a while. Stir in the cilantro and pecans.
6. Spread one-third of the cooked wild rice in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon and spread half the veggie mixture over the rice, taking care not to displace the grains. Top the veggies with half the remaining wild rice, smoothing it out to make an even layer, then top that with all the remaining vegetable mixture, again creating an even layer without disturbing those below. Finally, spread the remaining wild rice over the top of the dish.
7. Cover with parchment paper, then foil, and bake until hot, steaming, and bubbling at the edges of the pan, about 45 minutes. Uncover and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before either dishing it up into bowls with a big spoon or (the more traditional way) turning the whole thing upside down onto a large platter to scoop up servings at the table.
SERVES 8
Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Make ahead: Store the cooled casserole, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Save time: Use 7 cups cooked wild rice and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
CHEF IT UP!