The surprising star of the holiday table: Colorful rice with seasonal vegetables

This simple, quick, and colorful recipe results in a striking fried rice bowl that gathers all the seasonal vegetables and a bit more.

It's a celebration of magnificent local produce, which can mark a new page—and a new year—in a natural way.

Ingredients (for 3 servings):

200 grams (1 cup) basmati rice

Olive oil

1 small cauliflower or 1/3 of a large cauliflower, divided into small florets

1/3 of an almod cauliflower, divided into small florets (or broccoli or broccolini)

2 zucchinis, cut into cubes

1 eggplant, cut into cubes with skin on

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes

A large handful of snow peas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, cut in half and sliced

For the dressing:

2 crushed and chopped garlic cloves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Chopped chili with seeds, to taste

Salt and pepper

A little extra olive oil

For serving: 3-4 chopped green onion tops

A handful of fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt, cook the basmati rice like pasta, for about 15-18 minutes. Taste to check if it's done, then drain.

2. While the rice is cooking, sauté each vegetable separately in a wide pan with olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. When each vegetable reaches the desired softness and has a nice color on all sides, transfer it to a large bowl (it's best to keep the cauliflower and snow peas slightly crunchy).

3. Fry the onion until golden, then add the cooked rice. Let the rice stick to the edges of the pan and brown a bit without stirring. Once it's done, carefully scrape the rice from the pan.

4. Meanwhile, mix the crushed garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl—and add chili if desired.

5. Return the sautéed vegetables to the pan with the rice and onion. Pour the lemon-garlic dressing over everything and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding a bit more olive oil if desired.

6. Sprinkle the chopped green onions and mint leaves on top, and serve.

In collaboration with Sugat