Chickpea pilaf with vegetables and brown rice

Ingredients

• cooked chickpeas: 3/4 cup, about 170 g
• cooked brown rice: 3/4 cup, about 150 g
• carrots: 1-2 pcs, about 70 g
• olive oil: 1 tbsp, about 10 g
• herbs: 1 handful, about 10 g

Instructions

1. Cut the carrot into matchsticks rather than grating it: grated, it dissolves into mush; in sticks it holds its shape and stays sweet.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the carrot for 5–6 minutes, until the edges begin to caramelise — that is where the dish gets its colour and its sweetness.
3. Add cumin, coriander and a pinch of turmeric, warm them for half a minute, then stir in the chickpeas.
4. Fold in the cooked rice, add 3–4 tablespoons of water and keep it covered on a low heat for 5 minutes, so the rice takes on the spices and the oil.
5. Take it off the heat, scatter the herbs over and leave it covered for another 5 minutes — it finishes on its own, off the flame.

Nutrition

No common allergens

Swaps

• Legumes can be swapped for one another, cooked, at the same weight.
• If legumes don't sit well, swap them for chicken/fish/tofu 120-150 g and add vegetables.
• The grain can be swapped for buckwheat, brown rice, bulgur or quinoa, cooked, 150-170 g.
• If you're cutting carbs, replace half the grain with vegetables 150-200 g.
• Vegetables can be swapped for any non-starchy vegetables at the same weight.

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