Pasta in any shapes or form is always part of my weekly menu, as for salad… well this is just a must have on a daily basis ONLY BECAUSE I LOVE IT ;-).  What I love about this salad is, not only is it filled the essential nutritious goodness but it is packed with flavour with just a bit of chilli and some spice. The key to this recipe is to pan roast or stir fry the veg very quickly on the highest heat.  What we looking for is some brown or charred bits on the corn and sweet bell peppers, this is what enhances the flavour.  The combination of the slightly charred veg and the roasted cumin along the heat of the chilli flakes is what makes this the “hottest salad”  around town 😉

Sweet Corn, Peppers & Avocado Pasta Rice Salad with a bit of chilli & spice by Videhi

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking time:  25 minutes

Serves: 3-4

1 cup (250ml) pasta rice (risoni)

2 tsp (10ml) olive oil

1 clove garlic peeled

3-4 sweet corn (about 1 ½ cup 375ml) cut off the cobb

½ small red bell pepper cubed (½ cup 125ml)

½ small green bell pepper cubed (½ cup 125ml)

¼ cup finely chopped red onions

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tsp (5ml) whole cumin seeds

½ tsp chilli flakes or 1-2 dry red chillies crushed

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves finely chopped

1 small avocado cubed

This is how 🙂 

  • Boil the pasta as per instructions on the pack – strain and keep aside
  • Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and fry until brown – just smash it down with the back of a fork, remove and keep aside.  Turn up the heat very high.  Now toss in the sweet corn and fry for minute.  Then add the peppers and fry for another minute.  Remove and keep aside.
  • Wipe out excess oil from the pan with a paper towel. Return the pan back to the heat.  Toss in the cumin seeds and roast for a few seconds until the seed become fragrent. Let the seeds cool and grind in a pestle and mortar until fine.
  • Add the pasta rice, sweet corn, peppers roasted garlic salt & pepper ½ – 1 tsp roasted ground cumin powder, ½ tsp chilli flakes and coriander leaves to a big bowl. Check salt seasoning and adjust accordingly.  Give this a good toss mixing all the ingredients.
  • Finally, fold in the avocado, gently mix and serve.

An Awesome tip 🙂  the pasta rice can be substituted with wild brown rice or basmati rice…and or 1 cup of legumes of your choice can be added or fried tofu. 

below:  some of the ingredients for this recipe

pasta rice salad ingrediets