The only kind I feel it is appropriate to speak of here is, however, dinner dishes that rely on a rich flavorful sauce. It is the utmost in comfort food to me. Although I am not a suspicious person by nature...oh OK, I am a suspicious person by nature - I'm British, and we have cynicism in our genes... I am automatically a tad suspicious of recipes for dishes that seem dry. My preconceived position is that they can't possibly be as flavorful, and I, and my taste buds, will be disappointed. However, I am not so arrogant as not to admit that exceptions do exist (I'm still more than 50% right, really I am), and the recipe below is for one of those exceptions. Don't be steered away by the long list of spices - they are worthy additions to your spice cupboard, and impart a flavor to this dish that is amazing in its richness. And that despite the lack of sauce!
I served the pilaf here topped with spiced carrots (recipe below) and with some raita on the side - just to add a smidgen of moisture to the dish. However, for those members of my family who seem to crave protein and view all vegetarian dishes with suspicion, I suggest topping it with a piece of roasted salmon, sprinkled with some similar spices.
Caramelized Onion and Zucchini Pilaf
(adapted from Olive, a British cooking magazine)
Serves 4
12 oz white basmati rice
2 oz unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, finely sliced
2 tsp black/brown mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, coarsely shredded
1 2" piece ginger root, finely shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 cardamom pods
2 strips of lemon zest pared from 1 lemon
20 fl oz (600ml) vegetable broth
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1. Rinse the rise a few times in cold water, by submerging it in a large bowl of water and swishing it around, then draining. Continue to do so, until the water remains clear when the rice is swished around. Drain well.
2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven with a lid over a medium-high heat, and saute the onions with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. By this point, they should be a lovely golden brown color. Scoop 1/3 of them out into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the seeds to the pan, and stir into the remaining onions, util they start to give up a delicious aroma, then tip in the garlic, ginger and shredded zucchini, and stir to combine.
4. Add the tomatoes, remaining spices, lemon zest strips and rice and mix well until the rice grains are coated.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a nice rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low, put some foil over the pan, followed by the lid (makes a nice firm seal, better than with the lid alone) and simmer gently for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then remove from the heat, and again, without removing the lid, let it sit and steam for another 10 minutes.
6. Gently fork through the herbs and then serve topped with the reserved onions, some spiced carrots (recipe below) or salmon and some raita on the side (recipe below).
Spiced Carrots
2 lbs carrots cut into 2" pieces (split the fat ones lengthwise too)
3 TBSP canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
2. Toss the carrots in the oil, then mix together the spices and mix into the carrots.
3. Spread on a roasting tin, coated with canola oil spray.
4. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until tender
Raita
adapted from Epicurious.com
1 cup fat free Greek yoghurt
1 cup chopped hothouse cucumber or Persian cucumber
4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 TBSP finely chopped green/spring onions
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1. Mix ingredients together well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Chill until ready to serve.
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