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Brown basmati rice with lemon dates and crispy onions

Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions Can use any rice you have on hand, just cook it until it's light and fluffy.
  • a big handful fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 tsp each of coriander and cumin seeds
  • zest of one lemon, in thin strips
  • a handful of whole dates
  • 1 medium onion, sliced as thinly as possible into rings
  • oil for frying
  • salt

Instructions

  • Get your rice cooking however you usually do it - we usually bang into the microwave until done.
    Put a small saucepan on high heat and toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a minute or 2, moving constantly until fragrant. Add to the rice (or into a separate bowl if your rice is still cooking).
    Halve the dates lengthwise and remove the seed, then slice into matchsticks lengthwise. Add to the rice. 
    Zest the lemon into thin strips - if you don't have a zester, the easiest way to do this is to peel thinly with a sharp veggie peeler and then slice into matchsticks. 
  • Heat up 2cm of oil in your small saucepan mentioned above. While you are doing that, sprinkle your cut onions with salt and then deep fry in batches until starting to turn brown and crispy. Rest on kitchen paper to drain and then add to the rice. 
    Toss everything together and serve warm or at room temperature!