Rice can be tricky to cook well. This recipe may be adjusted according to the type of rice you use but it’s pretty fail-safe. Here we use a simple technique to impart more flavour into the humble grains. The dish can be eaten fresh and hot, or turned into a beautiful rice salad once cool with the addition of chopped cucumber, maybe some mint or other crunchy salad or veg. It will store for 3 days in the fridge and reheated in the oven or microwave until it is piping hot. Not suitable for freezing.

Serves 4 as a side

400g basmati rice
50g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
25ml olive or sunflower oil
800ml water
100g raisins
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 onion, peeled and grated
4 tsp ODK special spice (cinnamon, turmeric, mace, cardamom)
1 handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt

Preheat the oven to 160C.

We begin by making a quick and aromatic vegetable stock. Add the grated onion and carrot to a small saucepan or pot along with the raisins, 800ml water and the ODK spice mix. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour your raw rice, almonds and oil in an oven-proof casserole dish or pot with a good pinch or two of salt. Pour over the hot stock from the pan, including the onion, carrot and raisins, and stir to mix it all together.

Put a lid on or cover tightly with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before removing the lid. Once rested, fluff up with a fork, squeeze over the lemon juice and garnish with the coriander if using.

This recipe is shared as part of the Good Food Club. We are very grateful for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by the Landworkers’ Alliance, which has allowed us to offer a pilot of the Good Food Club this year. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible.