This hearty dish is full of flavor and makes the perfect side dish or a hearty main dish. Meat can be omitted to make this dish vegetarian or more of a light side dish. Pairs well with warm pita or naan.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb or chicken
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation:
Soak basmati rice in cold water for two hours prior to preparing dish. Drain thoroughly.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and yellow onion, saute until tender. Add cayenne pepper and rice, stirring well. Add vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
While rice is cooking, place ground lamb or chicken in a medium skillet. Add coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper, stirring well until meat has browned.
Once rice has cooked, add ground meat and mix well. Gently stir in pine nuts, kidney beans, and chickpeas.
Just before transferring to serving dish, very gently stir in cherry tomatoes. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped green onions.
