Chickpea Pilaf

Serves 4-5

The humble chickpea pilaf has a very special place in Ottoman folklore. At the Topkapi palace, in the time of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (he captured Constantinople in 1453), a little gold ball in the shape of a chickpea would be hidden in the rice, creating excitement among the guests, each hoping to find it on their plate. I don’t hide a gold ball in my rice, however we do relish this beautifully simple dish with my golden Chicken Tajine with Preserved Lemons. Enjoy!

Ingredients

260g long grain Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in water for about an hour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large or 250g onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1x400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

720ml water or chicken stock (if using a saucepan)

40g butter

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Recipe

1Heat olive oil in a large heavy-base saucepan. Add onions, and garlic - fry for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

2Add rice, rinsed chickpeas, stock, butter, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to the boil.

3Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender and cooked through. Stir gently to fluff up the rice before serving.

Note: If using a rice cooker, use 1.5 cups water to every cup of rice (about 540ml in the recipe above). Follow steps 1 and 2 as instructed in recipe above, then transfer everything into a rice cooker before switching it on.

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