Recette de cuisineHomemade recipes · Hainaut
Favorites
Zembrocal

Zembrocal (Réunion rice)

Main dishes

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

Enlarge photo

At a glance: serves 4 people, 45 min total (30 min prep and 15 min cook time), difficulty: medium, about $3.10 per person, 216 kcal per serving.

Recipe from Guilleron, Thierry Caro, JackPotte and 7 other contributors, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

↓ Jump to recipe

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
  • CostModerate
  • Calories216 kcal/serving
  • Cooking methodlarge stockpot
  • Estimated cost$12.40 $3.10 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 16, 2026.
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan

Ingredients

4 people
  • $0.44
  • $5.03
  • $0.96
  • $0.18
  • $0.56
  • $3.50
  • $0.66
  • $0.17
  • $0.35
  • $0.15
  • $0.13
  • $0.27

Prices from US supermarkets for 7 of 12 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 hot pepper into small pieces. ≈ 8 min
  5. In a large pot, first sauté the onions until they are browned. ≈ 3 min
  6. Add tomatoes, bell 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 (Réunion rice)

  • 150 g of rice$0.44
  • 3 tomatoes$5.03
  • 1 bell pepper$0.96
  • 2 cloves of garlic$0.18
  • 2 onions$0.56
  • 2 eggplants$3.50
  • One handful of chives$0.66
  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric$0.17
  • 1 tablespoon of cilantro, roughly chopped$0.35
  • One piece of ginger$0.15
  • 1 teaspoon of coarsely chopped hot peppers$0.13
  • Mixed peppercorns$0.27

Total$12.40

that's $3.10 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

Affiliate links

Nutrition per serving

Calories216 kcal
Fat0.9 g
Saturated fat0.2 g
Carbohydrates41.7 g
Sugars10.7 g
Fiber8.4 g
Protein5.7 g
Salt0.06 g

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 teaspoon of coarsely chopped hot peppers
  • A pinch of salt
  • Mixed peppercorns

The screen stays on while cooking mode is open.
🎬 Have a video of this recipe? Suggest a YouTube link

Did you film this recipe, or do you know a video that shows it? Axelle watches it before adding it to the page.

Nothing is published before approval.

✏️ A mistake, an idea for this recipe? Suggest a correction

Reviews (0)

Rate this recipe Be the first to rate it!

Your rating

On our Facebook page

0 reactions · 0 comments

Comment on Facebook ↗