Spiced Vegetable Pilaf
Get four of your five-a-day in one colourful bowl. Vary the veg according to what's in season.
Ingredients
6 carrots, 3 red onions, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 200g brown basmati rice, 400ml vegetable stock, 400g can brown lentils, 200g baby spinach, handful toasted flaked almonds
Instructions
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In boiling water, cook carrots for 4 mins, tipping in onions for the last min of cooking. Drain and mix in a roasting tin with 4 tsp oil, the cumin and seasoning. Roast for 30 mins, while you cook the rice. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a large pan. Add cardamom and cinnamon for 30 secs, then add rice and toast for 1 min. Pour over stock and 100ml water, then simmer, covered, for 25-30 mins, until rice is tender and the water absorbed. Remove cinnamon and cardamom. Tip in lentils and fork through before topping with spinach. Put lid back on and cook over a low heat, stirring once, until spinach has wilted and lentils heated through. Fork through again before tipping the cumin roasted veg onto the top and sprinkling with almonds, if using.