Vegetarian in Paradise Vegetarians in Paradise is a Los Angeles vegetarian web magazine. It is run by Zel and Reuben Allen. Their mission is to "offer our friends in the vegetarian community a nesting place to roost awhile and share information about a lifestyle that may keep us flying around a few years longer than our non-vegetarian friends.".

Reprinted with permission from Zel Allen.

Zel Allen is also the author of the cookbook The Nut Gourmet. Sample recipes from this cookbook can be found in the recipe sources.

Persian Rice with Savory Pistachio Sauce

Magazine: May 2001

Here's a gourmet main dish recipe that shows off the pistachio as a sauce that dresses up the top of an exotic, yet delicate combination. It's easy, yet impressive.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. (355 ml) Basmati brown rice
• 3 3/4 C. (894 ml) water
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/3 C. (79 ml) currants

Pistachio Sauce

• 1 C. (237 ml) raw, unsalted pistachios
• 3 C. (717 ml) unsweetened soy milk
• 1 1/4 t. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste*

*If you're a purist and want to keep the sauce "clean," use ground white pepper.

Vegetables

• 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 large zucchini squashes, coarsely grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 t. each oregano, basil, marjoram
• 3/4 t. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T. water
  
• 1/4 C. (59ml) raw whole pistachios

Garnish

• Chopped pistachios
• Currants

Directions

1. First start rice cooking by combining the rice, water, and salt in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down and steam for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender. 
2. Put currants in a small bowl and cover with hot water to plump them while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Next prepare sauce by grinding the pistachios in an electric coffee grinder in small batches. Pour ground nuts into a small bowl and set aside.
4. Combine soy milk, salt, and pepper in a 2 or 3-quart (2 or 3 liter) saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Watch carefully that it does not boil over. Slowly, add ground pistachios to the bubbling sauce, stirring constantly with a wire whip until sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. Sauce gets thicker as it sits.
5. Combine carrots, zucchinis, onions, herbs, seasonings, olive oil, and water in a deep 12" (30 cm) skillet. Sauté over high heat until vegetables are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Drain water from currants and add to skillet along with the 1/4 C. (59 ml) raw whole pistachios.

TO ASSEMBLE: Mound rice onto a large serving platter, either round, oval, or square.
Top with sautéed vegetables, leaving a 1" border of rice around the edges.
Then top with some of the pistachio sauce.
Garnish with chopped pistachios and currants.
Serve the remainder of the sauce in a gravy dish and bring to the table.

An alternate serving suggestion is to make up individual plates in the same pattern as described above.