Jewelled rice pilaf
If you’re making some Middle-Eastern or North-African style grilled chicken, fish or lamb chops, this Jewelled rice pilaf will make an excellent side dish. To be honest I normally make it with leftover rice (I just fry the onion & garlic, then add the cooked rice, spices, dried fruits & nuts and stir to warm through) but you can make it from scratch following the recipe below.
Ingredients
Method
- Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic, stir for a few second, then add the rice and coat. Add the cinnamon and saffron, stir to combine. Pour in the water, to about an inch above the rice.
- Steam under a lid for about 15-20 minutes, until the water is almost completely absorbed.
- Add the pomegranate molasses, dried fruits & pistachios. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir for a few seconds. Cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat, then set aside for 10 minutes to steam and cool.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- You can add some chopped fresh parsley, mint or coriander just before serving.
- I sometimes add a small teaspoonful of coriander seeds/powder and/or cumin seeds/powder to the fried onion, depending on the main course. Also, instead of pistachios toasted almond flakes are nice too!