Also known as, "Too-Lazy-to-Go-Shopping Pilaf".
Dave is away tonight, and as I failed to take this into account when I planned our menu for this week, I've had to scrounge around to make dinner--I'm compulsive enough to hate making a meal for two and refrigerating half of it.
Anyway, after staring into the depths of the cupboards and fridge, I decided to make pilaf. Why? It was the only ultra-healthy thing I could think of that involved chickpeas and carrots, other than soup. (We're dieting again, so my brain has been working over-time to find really yummy and substantial things to eat.)
Pilaf is a well-travelled dish. It is cooked in the Balkans (plov), Middle East (pilaf), and India (pilau or pulao). Happily it's an easy dish to make and can be dressed up to be served at a dinner party or eaten as an every-day dinner. This particular pilaf is very simple--purely by circumstances--but is quite delicious. Usually a pilaf will have a sweet flavour to provide additional interest; alas, I couldn't find any raisins or dried apricots as everything in my poor kitchen is still topsey-turvy after moving house, so I had to go without.
Still, the onions and carrots lent a wonderful sweetness to the rice and the whole spices gave a subtle flavour. As I used some good chicken stock, the rice was beautifully golden and bursting with flavour. Despite the lack of dried fruit or nuts, this was still a wonderful dish and I'd happily make it again.
'All By Myself' Pilaf
Serves 1, generously.
WW (UK) points = 8
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods, bruised
1 small bay leaf
100g basmati rice
225ml chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
100g cooked chickpeas
Heat oil in a medium saucepan until shimmering. Add carrots, onions, and a pinch of salt; stir until coated with oil. Put the lid on the saucepan and sweat the vegetables for approximately ten minutes until onion is soft and just taking on colour and carrots are softened.
Add ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Don't allow the ginger and garlic to burn.
Add rice, stir until all of the grains glisten. Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil. Cook, covered, for 13 minutes or until rice is tender.
Add the chickpeas and fluff up the rice with a fork. Remove the pan from the heat and place a tea towel (kitchen towel) over the pan and clamp the lid back on. Allow the pilaf to steam for ten minutes until the rice is dry.
Remove the spices and bay leaf. Serve in a deep dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Embellishments
Give the pilaf a bit more zing by stirring in a combination of raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dates, slivered almonds, or pistachios once cooked. Crispy fried onions would also be wonderful. Remember to calculate the extra points if you're following Weight Watchers!
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