A Seat At the Table Pilaf
While I love a one-pot wonder, this dish pays homage to your classic pilafs and pulaws, and is done in stages, with the rice and sauce cooked separately. They're layered then baked together. It's amazing how the vegetables perfume and permeate the rice. The pilaf keeps well, and its flavors are even headier the next day.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth divided use
- 1 cup rice of your choosing -- I used a blend of brown basmati and wild rice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cups green beans chopped
- 1 cup broccoli or cauliflower chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large tomato chopped or 1 cup grape tomatoes
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups water or broth to boil in a large pot. Pour in rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let rice cook for 25 minutes or until the grains become plump and tender and absorb all the liquid.
- Remove lid from pot and let the rice cool May be done a day ahead before proceeding.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add turmeric, cinnamon and allspice and stir for a minute or until spices darken and turn fragrant.
- Add chopped onion and cook for another 4 minutes, until onion mellows and softens.
- Add green beans and broccoli or caulifower and continue cooking, stirring to give the vegetables a luster of the spiced oil.
- Add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and water. Stir to combine. Squeeze in lime juice.
- Add raisins, season with sea salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Lightly oil a large casserole.
- Lay down half the rice. Top with half of the tomato mixture, repeat with the rice and end by covering with the tomatoes and vegetables.
- Bake, tightly covered, for 30 minutes.