Chickpea Pilaf

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
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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
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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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