Name: Savory Pounded Tea Rice
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings as a main dish
Cuisine: Malaysian Hakka
Ingredients: 4 cups boiling water; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 8 ounces Chinese broccoli or common broccoli, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups); 1 ounce Thai basil or Italian basil leaves (about 2 cups); 3 cups jasmine rice; 1 teaspoon chopped garlic; 7 ounces cabbage, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups); 5 ounces green beans, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 cup); 8 ounces plain or five-spice pressed tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes; 5 ounces salted radish, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 8 ounces amaranth leaves or spinach leaves, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups); 3 medium leeks (1½ to 2 pounds total, untrimmed weight); 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste; 2 tablespoons dried green tea leaves; 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds; 4 cups sliced garlic chives (about 9 ounces), or 4 cups sliced green onions plus 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; 6 black peppercorns; ⅓ cup vegetable oil, or as needed; ⅔ cup roasted, salted peanuts; 4 cups water; Kosher salt, to taste; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 3 tablespoons minced garlic; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 4 tablespoons dried shrimp, rinsed and chopped (optional); 1 cup cold water; 1 ounce fresh mint leaves (about 2 cups)

Preparation info

Makes
6 to 8
servings as a main dish

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Hakka Cookbook

By Linda Anusasananan

Published 2012

About

There are three main elements to this healthy rice bowl: the toppings, the garlic rice, and the herbaceous tea. Although traditionally the tea is pounded with a mortar and pestle, an electric blender makes the process easier.

This unique dish uses a variety of different vegetables and fresh herbs (see the Hakka Pantry for descriptions). If you can’t find all of them, adjust your choices to your local market. You can also reduce the variety of vegetables and cook larger amounts of fe