A good bowl has layers — something warm and starchy at the base, a protein that holds its shape and has real flavor, something creamy to tie it together, and enough freshness to keep every bite interesting. This one checks all of those. The coconut rice is simple but it perfumes everything around it, and the ají amarillo sauce — fruity, mildly hot, distinctly Central American — is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything once you make it.
Ingredients
For the coconut rice
For the bowl
For the ají amarillo sauce
Instructions
- 1
Cook the coconut rice first. Combine the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed — about 15 minutes for white rice, 40 for brown. Let it steam off the heat for five minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- 2
While the rice cooks, make the sauce. Whisk together the ají amarillo paste, vegan mayo, lime juice, and garlic until smooth. Taste it — it should be creamy with a fruity heat. Add salt and more lime as needed.
- 3
Warm your Chickpea Patties in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat, a few minutes per side, until they have a little color on the outside and are heated through.
- 4
To build the bowl: start with a generous scoop of coconut rice, then add a patty, sliced and fanned out. Add the cabbage, avocado, and tomatoes. Drizzle the ají amarillo sauce over everything. Squeeze lime over the top.