Cinnamon was probably the first spice I was introduced to,
at least this is what I can remember! When I was a little girl, my grandmother used
to cook for me semolina sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, she also used to
bake yeast cakes with apples and cinnamon; so this spice has been present in my
life from very early on. And now it is still probably my favourite one as there
are so many dishes I cook that wouldn’t taste the same without it.
This Iranian dish is one of them: when I cook it, the
wonderful aroma of cinnamon spreads around the kitchen and other parts of the
house and makes all of us want to eat it immediately. However in case of this
meal, waiting really pays off because it is not only super tasty and aromatic
but also – thanks to the pomegranate seeds – it looks absolutely stunning.
INGREDIENTS (4 portions):
2 tbsp olive oil,
2 onions thinly chopped,
4 garlic cloves thinly chopped,
2 cinnamon sticks,
2 tsp ground cumin,
2 pinches of saffron,
1.5l vegetable stock,
200g split peas,
200g brown rice,
2 big handfuls of spinach (chopped, if it is not baby
spinach),
3 spring onions chopped,
2 tbsp lemon juice,
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses,
salt and pepper,
chopped mint or coriander leaves (or both),
pomegranate seeds.
METHOD:
- On a medium heat warm up the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and fry them for a few minutes till translucent.
- Add the garlic and spices (cinnamon, cumin and saffron), fry for a further minute stirring; add the split peas and 1l of stock. Bring to boil, lower the heat and cook for 40 minutes stirring every now and then to make sure the split peas don’t get stuck to the bottom of the saucepan. The dish should be watery at this stage, if it isn't, add more stock.
- Add rice to the dish and cook everything for further 30 minutes, till the rice is soft.
- Add the spinach, spring onions, lemon juice, molasses, salt and pepper. Stir well, check the taste.
- Serve in bowls garnished with chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds.
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