RICE PILAF WITH LAMB SAUSAGES
Rice pilaf with lamb sausages is a simple family meal with subtle flavours.
The toasted nuts and seeds add a really nice crunch to the rice pilaf, and the dried fruit provides a hint of sweetness. Adding the fruit to the rice while it cooks makes it nice and juicy rather than chewy.
Eat the remaining half orange for dessert, or you could chop it up and add it to the salad.
RICE PILAF WITH LAMB SAUSAGES
Rice pilaf with lamb sausages is a simple family meal with subtle flavours. Toasted nuts and seeds add great texture and dried fruit provides a nice pop of sweetness.
Ingredients
RICE
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red onion
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (40g)
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (25g)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown basmati rice (200g)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 3/4 cups boiling water (440ml)
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots (40g)
- 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (40g)
SAUSAGES
- 700 g lamb sausages (1lb 9oz)
TO SERVE
- 1 courgette
- 1/3 telegraph cucumber
- 1 red capsicum
- 1/2 orange
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 3 Tbsp chutney
- 3 Tbsp plain, unsweetened yoghurt (optional)
Instructions
PREPARE RICE
Crush garlic and dice onion. Place a large non-stick pot on medium heat. Add sunflower seeds and almonds and dry toast until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from pot and set aside.
Melt butter in the pot, then add garlic and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Stir in rice, cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute. Dissolve chicken stock in boiling water and add to pot together with apricots and cranberries. Bring to a rapid simmer, place a lid on the pot and turn heat down to medium low. Leave to cook for 30 minutes.
COOK SAUSAGES
Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF) fan bake. Set a rack over a roasting dish and place sausages on top. Prick each sausage with a fork, then cook for 20 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
PREPARE SERVING INGREDIENTS
Meanwhile, cut courgette into semicircles and dice cucumber and capsicum. Combine in a salad bowl. Squeeze over the juice from the orange half and drizzle over the olive oil and honey. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir together chutney and yoghurt, if using.
SERVE
Once rice has finished cooking (you can turn the pot on an angle to make sure all the water has been absorbed) remove from heat and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Serve portions of rice sprinkled with sunflower seeds and almonds, with sausages, salad and chutney.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Go for a Pinot Noir.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free stock powder and gluten-free sausages. Ensure chutney is gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you can’t find brown basmati rice, you can use regular basmati rice. Cooking time will need to be reduced to 15-20 minutes. You could use pork or beef sausages instead of lamb.
USE IT UP: Eat the remaining orange half for dessert!
STORING AND REHEATING: Rice and sausages can be stored together - reheat in the microwave. Toasted nuts and seeds should be stored at room temperature. Add salad as well as nuts and seeds just before serving.
ALSO ON THE MENU
