Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf

Today is the Day After Yoga Flash Mob, and I'm really feeling the after effects of the 90-minute class under the hot midday sun.  In a good way, of course! Still, it was nice to take things easy today and have one of those do nothing Sundays where you can read magazines at your leisure. Today's read was the latest issue of Cuisine Magazine, full of light, fresh salads and marinated meats that you can just slap on the barbecue. I certainly took my time looking at the photos while putting together this week's meal plan.

The first dish that I'm sharing today is a vegetarian rice pilaf, full of aromatic flavors from the Middle East. You can make a really simple version and add almonds and pine nuts to make it more festive.

There are many recipes for rice pilaf on the web, and some are really entertaining to read. The possible combinations of aromatics, herbs and dried fruit and nut are endless. I usually make a cumin+cardamom+cinnamon+coriander pilaf to go with curries, but today I decided to create this Middle Eastern-inspired version to complement a roast lamb dish.

For me, the most important thing is the quality of the rice you use. I always use the best quality basmati rice I could get hold of, washing it several times until the water runs clear to get the starches out. Just make sure that the water is drained out before cooking. That's the secret to light, fluffy rice pilaf.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
400 g basmati rice (2 cups)
1/2 cup currants, sultanas, or dried almonds. Or any combination of these three.
750 ml water or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
a handful of curly leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup  toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts (optional)

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and stir-fry until soft and caramelised, but not browned.
2. Add turmeric and cumin and continue stir-frying until fragrant. This should take around 30 seconds. Make sure you carefully watch the spices so they don't get burned!
3. Stir in the basmati rice, making sure that the grains are coated with the oil and spices. 
4. Add water, dried fruits, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to make sure that all of the rice is covered by the water. Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, around 18 minutes. 
6. Turn of the heat and let the rice sit with the lid on for another 10 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in parsley, and the toasted almonds or pine nuts, if using.