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Zembrocal

Zembrocal

Main dishes

Fragrant rice cooked with vegetables and spices (turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cloves), simmered in a covered pot.

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Recipe from Guilleron, Thierry Caro, JackPotte and 7 other contributors (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine ·

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Zembrocal is a rice and vegetable dish, colored with turmeric and flavored with spices. It is cooked in a single pot, and once the vegetables are chopped, it can be prepared in a short amount of time.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time15 min
  • Total45 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodsaucepan
  • Estimated cost$10.31 $2.58 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.

Ingredients

4 people
  • $0.44
  • $1.03
  • $3.16
  • $0.10
  • $0.29
  • $3.50
  • $0.78
  • $0.58
  • $0.16
  • $0.13
  • $0.14

Prices from US supermarkets for 8 of 11 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Rinse the rice three times. ≈ 2 min
  2. In a mortar, grind together the peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, and garlic. ≈ 3 min
  3. Finely chop the chives and thyme. ≈ 8 min
  4. Chop the bell pepper, tomatoes, ginger, onion, eggplant, and chili pepper into small pieces. ≈ 8 min
  5. In a saucepan, first sauté the onions. ≈ 3 min
  6. Add tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, ginger, and chili peppers, along with a pinch of turmeric for color. ≈ 3 min
  7. Add the rice and 225 ml of water (one and a half times its volume), then add the thyme, chives, salt, the contents of the mortar, and the remaining turmeric. ≈ 3 min
  8. Cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed.
  9. For a traditional cooking method, use a wood fire. ≈ 3 min

The bill

Zembrocal

  • 150 g of rice$0.44
  • 3 tomatoes$1.03
  • 1 bell pepper$3.16
  • 2 cloves of garlic$0.10
  • 2 onions$0.29
  • 2 eggplants$3.50
  • One handful of chives$0.78
  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric$0.58
  • 1 tablespoon of cilantro, roughly chopped$0.16
  • 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped hot pepper$0.13
  • Mixed peppercorns$0.14

Total$10.31

that's $2.58 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 150 g of rice
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 onions
  • 2 eggplants
  • One sprig of thyme
  • One handful of chives
  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon of cilantro, roughly chopped
  • One piece of ginger
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 2 cloves of cloves
  • 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped hot pepper
  • A pinch of salt
  • Mixed peppercorns

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