Afghan Orange and Chicken Biryani

From Felicity Cloak / Guardian Readers Recipe Swap.  Fairly easy, tasty and (probably) can be made vegetarian or vegan by using tofu, paneer or haloumi instaed of chicken

Carb Portions

Cous Cous

• Small portion 35g cous cous with 50g water
• Medium portion 50g cous cous with 70g water

      Stir the cous cous into boiling water or stock and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff up

Rice

• Small portion 50g rice with 75g water
• Medium portion 75g rice with 110g water

Pasta

• Small portion 80g dry pasta
• Medium portion 100g dry pasta

Mejadra (or Megadarra)

From Yotam Ottolenghi book "Jerusalem",  a wonderfully flaoursome rice, lentil and onion dish.

Ottolenghi:  "This popular Levantine dish is a real old favourite of mine. It's one of my childhood flavours, and evokes memories of heaps of this stuff being sold both in restaurants and by street vendors. Whether eaten hot or cold, the combination of sweet spices and bitter-sweet onion is as comforting as can be. Spoon over some Greek yoghurt and tuck in, but watch out – it's not easy to stop. Serves four."

Make it into a vegetarian main course with e.g. some fried halloumi with spicy tomato jam

• 250ml sunflower oil
• 4 medium onions, thinly sliced*
• 250g green or brown lentils
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
• 200g basmati rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp ground allspice
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt and black pepper
• 350ml water

*this first step is time consuming and can be omitted if shop-bought dried fried onion is used

Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.

Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion

(Claudia Roden adds dates to the otherwise identical dish she calls megadarra)or 

Turkish Spiced Pilaf

Occasionally,  you find something really special - both delicious and easy - this is one of those.  I found it in Rick Stein's Venice to Istanbul.  His original recipe has pine nuts but I think toasted flaked almonds are better.

Serves 6 - (note 50g rice/75g water per person gives moderate sized portions of rice for a dinner party but allow a bit more for main course only or younger male diners)

Ingredients

• 300   gms Jasmine or basmati long-grain rice
• 30     ml Olive oil
• 1       Onion - chopped
• 0.5    tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5    tsp salt
• 6       turns of black pepper
• 450   ml cold water
• 2       tbsp sulatnas or currants
• 2       tbsp toasted flaked almonds
• Good handful of chopped flat-leafed parsley and dill

Method

Soak the rice in plenty of cold water for 30 mins, then drain.

In a saucepan,  gently soften the onion in the olive oil then add the rice, cinnamon, salt, pepper and sultanas. Mix thoroughly and add the cold water.  You can tip everything into a rice cooker at this stage and leave it - just turn on the cooker 20 mins before you want to serve.  Alternatively,  bring it all to athe boil,  then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer,  put lid on pot and cook for 10 mins until the water is absorbed.

Just before serving,  stir through the herbs and almonds.