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1
Place the rice in a medium bowl, cover with about 3 inches of water, and soak for 2 to 12 hours. Rinse, then place in a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Place over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender. Drain through a sieve and then return to the pot and let stand, covered, until ready to serve. (If you skip the soaking step, you'll need to continue cooking the rice for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.).
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2
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast for 45 to 90 seconds, until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar or spice mill and coarsely grind.
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3
Combine the beans, cumin, chilies, oil, lime juice, chili powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Let stand as the rice cooks.
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4
Return the skillet to the heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Toast, swirling the pan often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the seeds turn a pale brown color and start to pop. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
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5
To serve, divide the rice among four bowls and then spoon the beans over the rice in each bowl. Top each serving with the avocado, mango, cabbage, pickled onions, pumpkin seeds, cheese, cilantro and oregano. Serve with lime wedges and pico de gallo on the side.
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6
10-Minute Pickled Red Onions: This recipe makes pickled onions that have a good balance of salty, slightly sweet, and sharp taste and tenderness, without any raw bite left in them. One way to play around here is to throw in some spices or other aromatics - try crushed coriander, star anise, bay leaves, dried chilies, cloves, peppercorns, cloves of garlic, or slices of ginger.
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7
Peel the onion, and then slice it into rings 1/8 inch wide or thinner using a mandolin slicer or a sharp chef's knife and a steady hand. I've found cutting the onion in half and using a disk slicer on my food processor works well.
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8
Combine the white and rice vinegars, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then add the onions. Gently stir the onions until they soften and are submerged in the brine; this will take 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
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9
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. The pickled onions will keep for several weeks.
