Okinawa taco rice - meatfree

Sometimes I read recipes that I have to try because they look like a different way of eating the sort of food I love.  This was the case with this Okinawa taco rice that combined Mexican and Japanese flavourings in the black beans that were served with fresh vegies and crispy cheese rice.  It was bright, colourful and tasty with an interesting history. 

I found a recipe in The Age newspaper weekend magazine and I loved the sound of taco rice with some Japanese flavourings.  The recipe called for minced beef so I found a vegetarian version with black beans and I combined the two recipes to make my own.

The story of Okinawa taco rice mirrors the history of adaption and fusion that has occurred when smaller territories have been occupied by different nations as power has shifted.  Okinawa is a chain of islands that is part of Japan today.  The dish was created in 1984 by Matzuso Gibo to provide cheap and cheerful meals to feed hungry US Marines who were stationed on the islands.  He took an Americanised version of Mexican food and added a Japanese touch.

The recipe took me down an interesting rabbit hole exploring the history of Okinawa taco rice.  As with the recipe, I love a serendipitous moment that leads to a a fascinating story.  One place I sometimes find gripping stories is the Good Weekend magazine in The Age newspaper.  I mostly go there for the quiz.  Sometimes I discover recipes like this taco rice, other times I find longer investigative articles on niche issues and then there are also days that the quiz has fascinating answers.

The same edition of the Good Weekend I came across a question about Anthony Perkins in the quiz.  One thing led to another and I found myself reading about him on Wikipedia.  I knew him as the star of Psycho.  It was so interesting to read about his life leading up to it as a gay man in heterosexual Hollywood.  He was a star and a teen idol to his public but his private life was constantly being surveilled and controlled by the studios.  It is a sad story of how cruel homophobia can be, how hard it is to live a life of lies, and how it led to bad decisions.  I was shocked that when Perkins was offered a role in Som Like it Hot, that Paramount studios forbade it.  They found it more acceptable to have heterosexual men star as the main male stars who dressed in drag.

The Okinawa taco rice was also a revelation.  I've never done crispy rice with melty cheese in a frypan.  It was so good with lots of tasty beans and fresh vegetables.  I also discovered that Romaine lettuce is the American equivalent of Cos lettuce that is far easier to find in our shops.  In fact making this recipe was like taking a journey of discovery.  I don't have the energy for this every day, but it so much fun to do it occasionally!

More fusion "Mexican" recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:

Gnocchi with Mexican corn (v)
Haggis nachos
Mexican lasagne with corn tortillas (gf, v)
Mexican nacholada casserole (gf, v) 
Tex Mex Pizza with sourdough base (v) 

 Okinawa taco rice
Adapted from Scratch Eats and The Age Good Food

Seasoned black beans:

400g tin black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp soy sauce
3-4 drops of hot sauce (or to taste)

Cheesy rice:

1 tbsp olive olive
3 cups cooked short grain brown rice
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Toppings:

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
1/4 iceberg lettuce or 1 small cos lettuce, thinly sliced
4~5 small tomatoes or 2 large ones, diced
2 avocados, diced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Bring the black beans, garlic, cumin, oregano, soy sauce, sake and mirin to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Heat oil in a cast iron frypan over medium heat.  Spoon in rice evenly and scatter with cheese.  Cook without stirring until cheese is melted and rice is golden brown in the bottom.

Spoon rice into a bowl.  Top with beans, walnuts (if using), grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and spring onions.

Notes:

The walnuts are optional and I have added them as a topping because Sylvia does not like them but I find they made a nice addition to the texture when doing a vegetarian substitute for mince meat.

The toppings are approximate amounts.  I chopped some for the first couple of servings and then chopped more for the leftovers.  

Cos lettuce in Australia can be replaced by Romaine lettuce in the USA. 

I would not do more than 3 cups of rice in our cast iron frypan to maximise the crispy rice and make sure that the cheese melted quickly.

This is a great meal for entertaining so everyone can choose how much they like of each dish.  You could even pile everything in layers or arrange components in one large serving bowl or frypan.

On the Stereo:
The Prettiest Girl in School: Anthony Perkins