Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
sea salt
3 tbsp white wine or mirin (rice wine)
2 cups pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes
1½ cups short-grain brown rice
¼ cup pearled barley grain
¼ cup whole-wheat grain
4 cups water (in which all the above grains are soaked together overnight)
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp sweet white miso or freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh peas, blanched until al dente
2 tbsp parsley leaves
pesto, for serving
Method
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot on a medium flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute with a sprinkling of sea salt for 3 minutes.
Throw in the wine and continue to saute while adding the pumpkin cubes.
Once all the moisture has evaporated, add the grains mixture together with the soaking water.
Bring to a rolling boil, add a teaspoon of sea salt, then cover and simmer for 50 minutes on a flame deflector.
When ready, spoon in the white miso or parmesan and black pepper and whip the rice with a wooden spoon, making sure to break up the pumpkin so it becomes cremoso.
To serve
Fold in the blanched peas and parsley and serve topped with dollops of fresh pesto.
