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Sweet Potato Brown Rice with Soy and Scallions

Start to finish: 50 minutes (10 minutes active)

Servings: 4

Goguma-bap is a traditional Korean dish of sweet potatoes (goguma) and cooked rice (bap). Our take has a pure sweet potato flavor accented by chewy short-grain rice; we prefer the nuttiness of brown short-grain rice for added complexity. The sweet potatoes and rice usually are steamed together plain, then seasoned at the table with a mixture of soy sauce. We opt to season the sweet potatoes with just a little of this sauce before cooking to make them especially flavorful.

1 cup short-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1 medium garlic clove, finely grated

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon honey OR white sugar

1 pound orange-flesh sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, combine the rice and 1¾ cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium, then reduce to low, cover and cook without stirring for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes, honey and 2 tablespoons water. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the soy mixture and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

After the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, uncover the pot, scatter the sweet potato mixture over the surface of the rice (without disturbing the grains) and re-cover. Cook over low until both the potatoes and rice are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Gently fluff with a fork, trying not to break up the potatoes. Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture for drizzling.

Optional garnish: Toasted sesame seeds

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Milk Street: Cook What You Have: Make a Meal Out of Almost Anything (A Cookbook)

Sweet Potato Brown Rice with Soy and Scallions

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