Rice Perfumed with Middle Eastern Spices and Vegetables

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, soak 20 minutes and drain.

   Colander

   💡Rinsing removes the starch from the surface of the grains: the rice comes out fluffy and separate, not sticky.

   💡Soaking shortens the cooking, and the grains cook evenly.
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
3. 3
   Add the onion and carrot and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
5. 5
   Add the pepper and fry about 3 minutes, stirring, until it softens.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

To assemble

1. 6
   Add the rice and the turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.
2. 7
   Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
3. 8
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Scatter the peas on top, cover again and cook another 5 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 9
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
5. 10
   Gently stir in the cilantro.
6. 11
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve.