Lebanese Rice with Mince and Peas

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Have the chopped onion (1) and mince spices ready. Heat a drizzle of regular cooking olive oil in a wide pan and cook the onion, stirring, until golden and caramelised.

   Uses 1 large onion, chopped · A drizzle of regular cooking olive oil for the onion

2. 2

   Step 2: Add the ground beef (250 g), seven spice, dried coriander (½ teaspoon), black pepper (¼ teaspoon) and salt to taste to the onion pan from step 1. Fry for about 10 minutes, breaking up the mince with the back of a spoon. Drain excess liquid as it collects and continue until the ground beef is fully cooked to 71°C. Keep the cooked mixture covered off the heat while preparing the rice.

   Check fully cooked mince · 10 minUses Complete caramelised onion-and-oil pan · 250 g ground beef · ½ teaspoon Lebanese seven spice · ½ teaspoon dried coriander · ¼ teaspoon black pepper · Salt to taste for the mince

3. 3

   Step 3: Measure the 3½ cups rice cooking water and bring it to a boil in a kettle.

   Uses 3½ cups water, boiled before adding to rice

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash and drain the 2 cups dry basmati rice, discarding the wash water. Put it in a separate pot with a drizzle of vegetable oil and approximately ½ teaspoon rice seasoning salt. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring to coat the grains.

   Uses 2 cups dry basmati rice, washed and drained · Clean water to wash the rice; discarded · A drizzle of vegetable oil for sautéing rice · Approximately ½ teaspoon salt for rice

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the boiling water from step 3 to the sautéed rice pot from step 4. Bring back to a boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12 minutes before adding the mince and peas.

   Initial rice simmer · 12 minUses Complete sautéed rice-oil-salt pot; discarded rice washing water excluded · Complete measured boiled rice-water stock

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the cooked drained mince mixture from step 2 and the frozen peas to the partly cooked rice pot from step 5. Stir, cover again and simmer for around 5 more minutes. Check the rice is fully tender and fluffy and the mince and peas are hot throughout; continue gently if needed.

   Check finished mince-and-pea rice · 5 minUses Complete partly cooked rice pot · Cooked drained mince-and-onion mixture; discarded excess liquid excluded · 1 cup frozen peas

7. 7

   Step 7: Use the quarter-cup ready toasted pine nuts (¼ cup) across the finished rice from step 6: stir some through and scatter the rest over the top. Serve, with ready plain yogurt if desired.

   Uses Complete cooked rice-mince-and-pea pot · ¼ cup ready toasted pine nuts, for mixing and topping · Optional ready plain yogurt to serve