Vegetable riceis a nice light meal on its own, and it also makes a tasty foundation for a delicious gravy. Recently, I was feeling for something lighter than ground provisions and pasta, so rice made the cut.

Calypso {ca·lyp·so} is a form of music from The Caribbean. Though it’s universally accepted that it sprung from Trinidad & Tobago (influenced by Africa), the music style has been expressed all over the region (including Barbados) for ages. This post has less to do with the sound and roots of calypso, and more to do with the vibrant collage of flavours in it thus – Calypso rice.

Here’s a pic from the dish made that day, and the recipe!

Prep Time: 5 mins. | Cooking Time: 25 mins.

Serves: 3

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups of rice

water to boil + a full pinch of salt

2 tsp curry

1 tbsp of olive oil (ideally)

2 carrots

Sprinkle of basil leaves

1/2 sweet pepper

1 onion (sliced)

a teeny pinch of black pepper

2 stalks of chives (finely chopped)

{Add mushroom for an extra bit of yummy-ness; I didn’t have any in the kitchen today.)

To make this dish:

1. Chop the veggies and set aside, while the rice is cooking on the stove (15-20 mins.) Add 1 tsp of the curry to the pot of rice midway.
2. Monitor rice and remove from heat once it’s medium tender, not soft like risotto. Drain and set in a colander (so it can breathe and not get ‘smooshy’.)
3. In a frying pan set to medium heat, add the oil and in 2 mins., add the onion, chives, carrots, and sweet pepper then remaining tsp of curry. Mix with a wooden spoon.
4. When the aroma fills the room (1 min.), add the rice and stir in well for 1 min.
5. Remove from heat, and sprinkle black pepper and basil.

Get a plate, and enjoy!