Mango and Apricot Rice

If you enjoy the sweetness of fruit and nuts in savoury dishes, I'm sure this recipe will appeal to you. You can play around and add other dried fruit, such as dates, or nuts such as pinenuts, the balance of spices and nutty brown rice will still compliment.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 225  g brown rice (or white, if preferred, either way, long grain works best)
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil (or any mild tasting)
• 1  shallot, finely chopped
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 1  teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1  teaspoon green cardamom pods (crushed. Discard shells and keep the seeds)
• 2  kaffir lime leaves (or 2 strips lime zest)
• 450  ml  vegetable stock or 450  ml  chicken stock
• 30  g dried mango or 30  g  dried apricots, snipped into 2cm pieces
• 30  g butter
• 1  pinch saffron

• to serve

• 50  g  slivered almonds

Directions

1. Soak the saffron in 4tsp of warm water. Wash the rice in a colander under running water.
2. Warm the oil in a heavy-based, deep pan and fry the shallot until golden, for about 2 minutes.
3. Fry the cinnamon, turmeric and cardamom seeds for 2 minutess. Add the lime leaves (or strips of lemon peel), rice, stock and dried fruit and bring to the boil.
4. Turn down to moderate heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes (you may need to check the timing for your rice on the packet - less of more depending on the choice of rice.
5. Meanwhile, place a piece of aluminium foil on a grill rack and toast the almonds under hot grill (keep an eye on them as they burn very quickly).Allow to cool.
6. Melt the butter in a small pan and mix in the saffron when the butter is almost liquid.
7. After 30 minutes, lift the of the saucepan in which the rice is cooking and check - the grains should be tender with hardly any liquid left at the bottom of the pan. Pour in the saffron butter and fold in through the rice (a chop stick or spoon handle is good, take care not to mash the rice whilst doing this). Then then take a fork and gently fluff up the rice.
8. Serve garnished with the toasted almonds.