Bhutanese Red Rice

Rice, whether it's white, brown, long, short,
forbidden (black), or red, is one of my favorite dishes. Red rice with its nutty flavor has secured a good place in my heart, and as a result in my kitchen, in the last year. I usually cook it alaturka; however, this time I wanted to try a Bhutanese recipe since red rice is from Bhutan. I found the recipe online here. I only made small changes, and the Bhutanese rice turned out to be great. I served it with Turkish meatballs and they got along pretty well. From now on I'll absolutely cook red rice with this recipe.

1 cup red rice
2 tbsp butter
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup petite diced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped shitakee mushroom
1/2 tsp thyme
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 - 2 cups vegetable stock (the stock I used was salty, so I didn't use extra salt)

-Wash the rice with cold water and let it sit in warm water for an hour before you cook.
-Heat the butter in a pot, stir in onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add carrots, mushroom, and rice. Stir for another 5 minutes.
-Add vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock or water), thyme, and bay leaves. First bring to a boil, then put it in an oven dish, cover, and cook in a preheated oven at 450F for 20-30 minutes, until rice soaks the water.
-Let it sit for at least ten minutes before serving.

This recipe is for a Turkish food blogging event called "Pirinç Ye" (Eat Rice) which is hosted by Sonia of Our Beautiful House and Garden.