Saffron and Chickpea Rice
Jun
LUNCH/DINNER
Saffron and Chickpea Rice
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 450 g Brown basmati rice
- saffron threads a pinch
- 1.2 ml Water or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp coriander
- 2 shallots
- 300 g cooked chickpeas
- 3 tbsp raisins
- 3 tbsp pine nuts (optional)
Tips/Notes
Tips/NotesBase for other Recipies
This rice makes a very easy lunch the day after. Have some carrot sticks for a snack later or an apple as desert to add to your vegetable count.
METHOD
1. Put the rice in a sieve and wash it under a running tap until the water comes out clean. Chop the shallots and garlic as fine as you can, soak the raisins in 200ml of boiling water and the saffron threads is a couple of tablespoons of boiling water.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan, turn the heat down and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. This will take about 10mins.
3. Add the rice and fry in the onion and garlic infused oil for a minute, add the drained raisins, chickpeas and the stock or water. Bring to the boil, add the saffron infused water, low the heat, put the lid back on the pan and let cook for approx 25minutes.
4. Check if the rice is cooked and if it is, add the roasted pine nuts and gently fluff up the rice with a fork to loosen the grains. If it isn’t cooked give it a few more minutes and add a bit more water or stock if it is too dry. Serve garnished with the chopped coriander leaves and any unused marinade on the side.
5. If feeding babies, leave the pine nuts out and blend the rice with some of the lamb and some full-fat, breast or formula milk or chicken stock from the freezer.
INFORMATION
For babies, do not use pine nuts. Mix the rice with a little of whole milk, maternal milk or formula or homemade chicken broth.
VARIANTS
You can use other nuts such as chopped pistachios or toasted flaked or chopped almonds. IF nuts are an issue, you can leave them out altogether.
Try a mix of brown basmati and wild rice instead for a nuttier flavour.
Turn this rice dish into a vegetarian meal on its own by adding some chopped spinach as you fluff up the rice. They’ll cook with the steam of the rice and as a meal is high in fibre and protein from the chickpeas.
If you are feeding children who don’t like the mushy texture of spinach, chop them small before adding them to the hot rice.
If feeding babies, leave the pine nuts out and blend the rice with some of the leftover marinade, some full-fat, breast or formula milk or chicken stock from the freezer.