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–+ servings
Bountiful Summer Green Pilau – vegetarian recipe
Stav Kogan

Bountiful Summer Green Pilau

A bountiful pilau, bursting with flavor and texture from an overabundance of summer greens like fava beans, broccoli, and zucchini, yet light enough for a perfect summer's evening.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 cup
Calories: 485

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cups / 300g (10.6 oz) basmati rice
  • 1 cup (150 g / 5.3 oz) fava beans, shelled
  • 1¾ cups / 420ml (14.2 fl oz) hot vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 1 fl oz) canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 0.2 fl oz) cumin seeds
  • 1¾-inch / 4-5 cm cinnamon stick
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 1¾-inch / 4-5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 Indian green chiles, finely sliced
  • 1 head broccoli, broken into 1¾-inch / 4-5 cm florets
  • 1 zucchini (about ½ pound / 225g / 7.9 oz), sliced
  • 1½ cups / 225g (7.9 oz) peas, fresh or defrosted
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 0.2 fl oz) ground black pepper
  • 1 1/3 teaspoons (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) salt, or to taste
  • a large handful of fresh dill
  • a large handful of fresh mint leaves
  • lemon wedges, to serve
  • For the fluffiest rice, resist the urge to lift the lid while it's simmering and resting. Letting it steam undisturbed is the key to a perfect texture.
  • To get a head start on dinner, you can make the spiced vegetable mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Simply reheat it gently while you cook the rice, then fold everything together.

Method
 

  1. Wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Leave it to soak in cold water for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, blanch the fava beans in boiling water for one minute, then drain and plunge into cold water.
  3. Squeeze each bean to pop it out of its tough outer skin.
  4. Once the rice has soaked, drain it well.
  5. Pour the hot vegetable stock into a deep, lidded saucepan, add the drained rice, and bring to a boil.
  6. Cook for 2 minutes, then cover tightly with the lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and let it rest, still covered, for at least 10 more minutes to steam.
  8. Heat the oil in a large lidded pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  9. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick and let them sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  10. Add the sliced onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and translucent.
  11. Stir in the grated ginger, crushed garlic, and green chiles, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  12. Add the broccoli florets to the onion mixture, stir, then add 5 tablespoons (75 ml / 2.5 fl oz) of water.
  13. Cover immediately and let the broccoli steam for 2 minutes.
  14. Add the sliced zucchini and a couple more tablespoons of water, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  15. Finally, stir in the prepared fava beans, peas, black pepper, and salt.
  16. Cook for one more minute.
  17. Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and gently fold it into the vegetables. If the rice has clumped, you can carefully break it up with your hands.
  18. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
  19. Transfer to a large serving dish, tear the fresh dill and mint leaves over the top, and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.
  20. Don't have the patience for shelling fava beans? Simply substitute with an equal amount of extra peas for a quicker, just-as-delicious result.
  21. Add the fresh dill and mint just before serving. This preserves their bright color and vibrant, fresh flavor that can be lost with too much heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 15gFat: 9g

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