Name: Warm Indian rice, lentil and vegetable salad
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Accompaniment
Ingredients: 625.00 ml water; 3.00 cardamom whole seeds; 2.00 allspice whole berries; 1.00 bay leaves; 5.00 ml salt; 250.00 ml rice basmati; 125.00 ml lentils dried, cooked; 15.00 ml butter; 3.00 onions medium, thinly sliced; 10.00 ml oil; 1.00 garlic cloves, crushed; 6.00 courgettes; 2.00 carrots medium; 10.00 ml curry powder mild; 5.00 ml turmeric; 2.00 ml ginger ground; 2.00 ml coriander ground; 2.00 ml cumin ground; 800.00 g tinned tomatoes whole peeled in tomato purée; 15.00 ml brown sugar soft; salt and freshly ground black pepper; fresh coriander or parsley, to garnish

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Ingredients (22)

625.00 ml	water
3.00	cardamom — whole seeds
2.00	allspice — whole berries
1.00	bay leaves
5.00 ml	salt
250.00 ml	rice — basmati
125.00 ml	lentils — dried, cooked
15.00 ml	butter
3.00	onions — medium, thinly sliced

SPICED VEGETABLES

10.00 ml	oil
1.00	garlic — cloves, crushed
6.00	courgettes
2.00	carrots — medium
10.00 ml	curry powder — mild
5.00 ml	turmeric
2.00 ml	ginger — ground
2.00 ml	coriander — ground
2.00 ml	cumin — ground
800.00 g	tinned tomatoes — whole peeled in tomato purée
15.00 ml	brown sugar — soft
	salt and freshly ground black pepper
	fresh coriander — or parsley, to garnish

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Method:

In a large saucepan, bring the water, spices, salt and rice to the boil. Cook according to packet instructions until just done. Remove the whole spices and mix the rice and lentils together. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 ºC (400 ºF) and butter a 25 cm cake tin. Melt the 15 ml butter and slowly sauté the onions for about 15 minutes until a deep golden brown. Season to taste and spoon into the prepared cake tin. Spoon the rice mixture on top and press down firmly with a large spoon. Cover with a double layer of aluminium foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Heat a medium saucepan and add the oil. Sauté the garlic and courgettes and carrots (cut into 5 cm sticks) until softened. Reduce the temperature, add the spices and sauté for another minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through until the sauce just begins to thicken and the vegetables are just done, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and season if necessary. Remove the rice mixture from the oven at the end of the baking time, remove the aluminium foil and stand for a few minutes. Place an inverted plate on top of the cake tin and turn the rice mixture out on to the plate, loosening any onion rings that are stuck to the cake tin and adding them to the rice. Spoon the hot vegetable mixture on top of the rice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves or parsley. Serve as part of a buffet with fresh bread, salads and chutney. Serves 4-6.