TK’s Forbidden Black Rice Salad

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 (15 ounce) packages black rice (such as Lotus forbidden rice)
• Dressing:
• 1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha hot chile sauce, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• Salad:
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons chopped Thai basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped purple basil
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced

Directions

Bring water and rice to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer rice to a large bowl, fluff with a fork, and cool until just warm.

Whisk rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, mirin, sriracha sauce, and agave nectar together in a bowl until dressing is smooth. Pour dressing over cooled rice; stir.

Stir carrots, cashews, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, scallions, Thai basil, purple basil, and jalapeno into rice until evenly distributed.