Oven-Baked Spiced Rice – Vegan version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear and drain.

   Colander

   💡Rinsing removes the starch from the surface of the grains: the rice comes out fluffy and separate, not sticky.
2. 2
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
3. 3
   Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveCast-iron pot
4. 4
   Add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   ⚙ 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.
5. 5
   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.
6. 6
   Add the carrot and fry another 3 minutes, stirring.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

To assemble

1. 7
   Add the rice and the turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.
2. 8
   Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
3. 9
   Cover the pot with parchment paper and then the lid, and bake 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

   OvenCast-iron potParchment paperLid
4. 10
   Remove from the oven and leave covered 5 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. 11
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve.