Name: Caramelised onion and courgette pilaf
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 300g basmati rice; 50g butter; 2 onions finely sliced; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 2 cloves garlic finely chopped; a thumb-sized piece ginger finely chopped; 1 courgette sliced; 2 ripe tomatoes diced; 1 cinnamon stick broken in half; 2 cardamom pods; 1 lemon 2 strips of zest pared; 600ml chicken stock; a handful mint leaves shredded; a handful flat-leaf parsley finely chopped; to serve (optional) raita

300g basmati rice
50g butter
2 onions
finely sliced
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic
finely chopped
a thumb-sized piece ginger
finely chopped
1 courgette
sliced
2 ripe tomatoes
diced
1 cinnamon stick
broken in half
2 cardamom pods
1 lemon
2 strips of zest pared
600ml chicken stock
a handful mint leaves
shredded
a handful flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped
to serve (optional) raita

Method

step 1
Tip the rice into a bowl, fill with cold water and move the grains around until the water is very cloudy. Gently tip the water out, refill and repeat until the water is clear. Drain really well.
step 2
Melt the butter in a large lidded pan or casserole over a medium-high heat and cook the onions with a large pinch of salt for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until really caramelised. Scoop out 1/3 into a small bowl. Add the seeds and cook for a minute until smelling toasty. Tip in the garlic, ginger and courgette, and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the tomatoes, spices, lemon zest and rice, and mix really well, until all the grains of rice are coated.
step 3
Pour in the stock, add lots of seasoning and bring to the boil for 1 minute, then reduce to a low heat. Put some foil over the pan with the lid on top and cook gently for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Remove from the heat and leave to steam with the lid still on for 10 minutes.
step 4
Gently fork through the mint and parsley, trying not to break the grains, top with the remaining onions, then serve with raita, if you like.