Baked Vegetable Rice

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 150 g carrot(s)
• 100 g leek
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 50 g apricot(s) (dried)
• 1 lime(s)
• Salt
• 300 g rice (wild rice mix)
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• 50 g peanuts (roasted)
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp oil and 8 banana leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Vegetable wild rice in banana leaf

Peel the carrots. Trim and wash the leeks. Peel and chop the garlic clove. Finely dice the dried apricots. Cut the banana leaves into 35×30 cm rectangles using scissors. Wipe the leaves thoroughly on both sides with a warm, damp cloth. Slice the lime. First cut the carrots lengthwise into thin slices, then into strips about 5 cm long. Cut the leeks into small cubes. Cook the carrots in 3/4 l of boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then cook the leeks for one minute. Drain the vegetables in a sieve, reserving the liquid. Rinse the vegetables under cold water. Bring 600 ml of the cooking liquid to a boil in a saucepan. Add the wild rice mixture, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Mix the vegetables and rice in a bowl with the crème fraîche. Add the apricots, peanuts, and garlic, and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Lay two banana leaves crosswise, place a quarter of the rice in the center of each. Fold the leaves together and place them seam-down on a baking sheet. Brush the parcels with oil and cook on the middle rack for 15 minutes.