TURMERIC RICE WITH FRUIT,

In the Middle East, combining rice with fruit  is a hallowed tradition. Recently, I decided to experiment with this concept, and came up with my own variation: Turmeric Rice with Fruit. In this version, for the fruit I added apricots, raisins, and dates.  It made for a real tasty meal.

This is s fun dish for any occasion. Also, note that in this recipe you can add more or less dried fruit to taste. The  dish goes well as a side to beef, pork or chicken. Or as a veggie meal on its own So, liven up your taste buds today. Family and friends will savior this one.

TURMERIC RICE WITH FRUIT

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup dates, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 teaspoons fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
3 drops tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
1½ cups water
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

  1. Wash rice at least three times under cold running water to rid of starch.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a pot or saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring until wilted and onion is soft. Add rice, raisins, apricots, dates, turmeric, thyme, tabasco, bay leaf, water, salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Cover pot tightly and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until rice is tender.
  3. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Distribute the remaining butter throughout the rice. If not serving right away, keep rice covered in a warm place until it’s served.
    Yield: 4 servings.