Bhutanese Red Rice with Sweet Potatoes, Plums and Sesame Chicken

I was planning to serve Ema Datsi with the red rice and then changed my mind in order to use up the small wedge of red cabbage and one sweet potato that was left in the vegetable basket, and the rapidly aging plum that was thinking of inviting fruit flies.

A colorful plate with a little of this and a little of that is a huge blessing, to be able to enjoy every morsel. With food allergies so prevalent and the other half suffering from as-yet undetected allergen, it is a tricky proposition at home to make a meal that all of us can enjoy without consequences.

Anyway, pan roasted sweet potato was par-cooked first in the microwave then finished off in a cast iron skillet, along with a wedge of red cabbage and hunks of red onion. The chicken was rubbed with a mix of powdered toasted black sesame seeds and black pepper (and hence the black color), and cooked on the same cast iron skillet, after removing the veggies.

On the same pan, some chopped plums and cooking red wine and some cider vinegar plus some herbs from the garden came together to reduce to a simple sauce.

Although a bit pricey, every once in a while I get Bhutanese red rice and serve it as a centerpiece in a meal. And that's how this simple plate came about one weekend.