Golden jewelled rice
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 125g wheat vermicelli pasta, broken into 2cm lengths
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- large pinch of saffron
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly bashed
- 50g pine nuts
- 50g flaked almonds
- 250g basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear, then drained
- 50g golden raisins or sultanas
- handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
- STEP 1
Peel the orange using a vegetable peeler then, using a sharp knife, remove any white pith. Slice the strips of orange peel horizontally into thin shards and set aside.
- STEP 2
To make the rice, heat the ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the vermicelli, stirring for 3-4 mins until golden brown. Add the garlic, spices, orange peel, pine nuts and almonds, and cook for a few more minutes until the pine nuts are golden. Add the rice, season well and stir to coat in the ghee and spices. Toss the rice around lightly until it’s toasted and hot, about 1-2 mins. Pour in 500ml boiling water from the kettle and add the raisins. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 8-10 mins, or until the rice is cooked through and the water has been absorbed.
- STEP 3
Fluff up the rice with a fork, pile onto a platter or serve in a bowl, sprinkle over the parsley and serve with the lamb (see 'goes well with', below).
