I’m not going to even try to give this recipe some of-the-moment context, because there just isn’t any. It’s not going to be on your Christmas or Hanukkah tables. You’re not going to serve it at your New Year’s Eve party. It’s not super healthy in anticipation of resolutions that will soon be broken during the greyest days of February. It’s just a really awesome dish that I make almost every other week, sometimes for lunch at work (I eat it on a generous pile of greens) and sometimes as a side to something like roast chicken. And I’ve been meaning to share it with you for awhile, so here it goes.
Anything Yotam Ottolenghi tells me to make, I pretty much do it and like it. I have four of his cookbooks (anyone want to gift me Nopi and make it a full set??) and cook from them regularly. Especially in the winter when the pickings seem slim at the grocery store, he has a pretty magical way of making extremely flavorful dishes out of not much in the way of ingredients. I’ll admit that I once made some portobello mushroom caps that were underwhelming, and another time he had me whipping up some really weird green pancakes that actually ended up in the trash (full disclosure) BUT besides that, I’m always blown away.
My favorite weekday lunch guidelines are usually a grain + veggies + spices + a bed of greens. Usually arugula because I love it and think it goes with everything. And Ottolenghi’s cookbooks contain so many recipes that adhere to that rule. But this one, I think, is my absolute favorite, for a few reasons. First, because it’s easy – making rice could actually not be easier, and there’s very minimal chopping which for me is key after a long day (I feel like if I had a superpower I’d want it to be the ability to control objects, like making a knife chop up parsley so I don’t have to – kind of like Sleeping Beauty’s fairy godmothers with the pink and blue dress!). Yes, I guess some people find any kind of frying intimidating, but the onions are shallow fried and it’s really not difficult. If you were really feeling lazy you could even use pre-made fried onions and then this would be the easiest recipe in the entire world.
This is also made from things that I either have on hand (rice, currants, canned chickpeas, spices) or are an easy trip to the grocery store around the corner (good old fashioned Gristedes, which transports shoppers to the 1960s both in terms of grocery selection – an entire half-aisle of condiments, the full Campbells soup collection, about 4 items of produce – and décor – think brown on brown and the smell of mothballs – but with 21st century prices). The resulting dish, made entirely from Gristedes and kitchen cabinet magic, is one of the most flavorful things I’ve eaten. Complex with fresh herbs, cumin and just a little curry, sweet in bursts from currants and addictively crunchy and salty thanks to those fried onions. You should definitely make this.
May your holidays be filled with delicious food and enough alcohol to make prolonged family time manageable!
Ingredients
- 50g wild rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 220g basmati rice
- Salt and black pepper
- 330ml boiling water
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1½ tsp curry powder
- 240g cooked chickpeas (tinned are fine), drained (I instead like to use a full 15 oz. can)
- 180ml sunflower oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp plain flour
- 100g currants
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
Instructions
- Put the wild rice in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes, until cooked but still quite firm. Drain and set aside.
- To cook the basmati rice, pour a teaspoon of olive oil into a medium saucepan and place on high heat. Add the rice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and stir as it warms up. Add the boiling water, reduce the heat to minimum, cover with a tight lid and leave for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, lift off the lid, cover the pot with a tea towel, then put the lid on top and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas. Heat the remaining olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the cumin and curry powder, and after a couple of seconds add the chickpeas and a quarter-teaspoon of salt; act fast, or the spices may burn. Stir for a minute or two, just to heat the chickpeas, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Wipe the pan clean, add the sunflower oil and place on a high heat. Once the oil is hot, mix the onion and flour with your hands. Take some of the mix and carefully place in the oil. Fry for two or three minutes, until golden-brown, transfer to kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Repeat in batches until all the onion is fried.
- Finally, add both types of rice to the chickpea bowl, along with the currants, herbs and fried onion. Stir and season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. •
Notes
From Jerusalem
