The one downside of cooking at home more is the washing up – piles of it. This one-pot baked rice neatly avoids too many pans, but is also just the type of thing I want to eat right now: a comforting bowlful that is not too heavy, peppered as it is with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs, and dressed with salty, creamy feta. Bliss.
Baked spiced rice with broad beans and chickpeas
If you can’t get hold of broad beans, this is also delicious with freshly podded or frozen peas.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4-6
300g white basmati rice
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
Extra-virgin olive oil
Butter
2 large red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and finely sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp paprika
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
200g podded broad beans
850ml water, or hot chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and black pepper
100g green olives, stoned (optional)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
To serve
150g feta
4 tbsp good extra-virgin olive oil
A few handfuls dill, parsley and mint, or any combination, leaves picked
1 small red onion, peeled and very finely chopped
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/gas 7. Wash the rice and chickpeas in a sieve until the water runs clear, then set aside.
Set your widest nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter and, when melted, add the onions and peppers. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are soft.
Add the spices and garlic and cook for a further three minutes so they release their flavours. Now add the chickpeas, beans and rice, then stir, making sure the rice is evenly coated in the spices. Pour in the stock and season well. Bring everything to simmering point, then bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with the olives (if you are using them). Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, break the feta in large chunks into a bowl and dress with a few generous glugs of your best extra-virgin olive oil, the zest from the lemon and some freshly ground black pepper.
Toss together the herbs, red onion and remaining lemon juice. Serve the rice at the table, scatter with the herbs, and let people scatter with the marinated feta.
And for the rest of the week …
Leftovers are delicious fried in garlicky oil with a splash of water. Finely chop and freeze any leftover herbs to keep them for another dish.
