Recipe
Roasted Squash & Black Rice Bowl with Tahini Dressing
Black rice has a slightly nutty flavour and a colour that makes everything around it look more considered. Paired with cumin-roasted butternut squash, a sharp tahini dressing and toasted seeds, this is a bowl that earns its place in the autumn rotation.
Method
Rinse the black rice in cold water until the water runs clear. If time allows, soak in cold water for 30 minutes — this reduces the cooking time and improves the texture. Drain and cook in a large pan of well-salted boiling water for 30–35 minutes until tender with a little bite remaining. Drain well and spread out on a large tray or plate rather than leaving it in a mound — this prevents clumping as it cools.
Heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan while the rice cooks. Toss the squash chunks with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Spread across one or two large roasting trays in a single layer — crowding produces steamed squash rather than roasted. Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once at the halfway point, until the squash is tender and the cut surfaces are deeply caramelised and beginning to catch at the edges.
Make the tahini dressing: whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and grated garlic with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. The mixture will seize and thicken — this is expected. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until the dressing loosens into a smooth, pourable consistency. It should coat a spoon but fall off in a steady drizzle. Taste: it should be nutty, sharp and well-seasoned.
Divide the warm black rice between four bowls and arrange the roasted squash over and around it. Drizzle the tahini dressing generously over each bowl.
Scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds and herb leaves over each bowl. Add a lemon wedge alongside. Serve warm or at room temperature — this bowl is equally good both ways.
✦ Chef's note
Black rice (sometimes labelled forbidden rice or Venere rice) is available in most health food shops and larger supermarkets. It has a distinctly nutty flavour and a deep purple-black colour that bleeds slightly into the dressing as it sits — this is normal and the colour contrast is still striking. Brown rice is a fine substitute with similar cooking time. Crown prince squash or sweet potato both work well in place of butternut. The bowl keeps in the fridge for 3 days with the dressing stored separately; dress at the last moment to keep the pumpkin seeds crunchy.