A fresh, filling summer dish. Adapted from BBC Food. Serves 4.
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves worth of garlic
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground turmeric
10 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
225g basmati rice, soaked in water for 20 minutes and drained
400ml vegetable stock
200g broad beans, out of their pods
4 courgettes, sliced
2 cloves
salt, pepper, and butter
For serving: fresh parsley, lemon juice and yoghurt.
1. Heat a dry frying pan and add the cumin and coriander seeds. Fry over a medium heat, moving the spices around the pan frequently to prevent them from burning, for 2-3 minutes, or until aromatic and lightly browned. Transfer to a mortar and grind with a pestle.
2. In a pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the onion and garlic over a medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until softened. Add the ground toasted spices, the cinnamon stick, ground turmeric, cardamom pods and cloves and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the rice, broad beans and stock, cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
4. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until smoking. Brush the courgettes with the olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then cook on the griddle for 2-3 minutes on both sides, or until charred and softened. Set aside.
To serve: stir the butter into the pilaf until melted, then spoon into serving bowls and top with the griddled courgette pieces. We recommend garnishing with chopped fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dollop of yoghurt.